NiGHTS: Journey Of Dreams
by ngrey651
Summary: The final chapter! Helen and Will must unite their power and defeat Wizeman the Wicked! Will the dream have a happy ending? What will happen to NiGHTS? And a bonus: Jackle stars in "Journey of Dreams", just because I can! Adaptation. Read, review, enjoy!
1. Prologue

_I believe that people get what they really want. It's part of my philosophy: you can accomplish all of your dreams if you really REACH for them! And dreams cannot be ignored, because they define what a person is, what a person wants, what he or she used to be or what they will become. _

_But there's one question that people wonder. Is it always a good thing to have grand dreams at all? After all, the world is harsh and filled with danger, and EVERYONE is out to fulfill their own dreams._

_So really…in a way…every single day you're up against the world, competing to fulfill your dream and hoping nobody steals it from you. What chance do you have, you might wonder to yourself…what chance do you have to accomplishing what seems impossible, what chance do you have of making your dreams come true? _

_Well the end result depends on you. The journey as well…but the basic idea stays the same: the world is far more magical and wonderful than you could ever believe if you know where to look for it…and yes, you can accomplish your dreams. It just takes some help, sometimes a lot, sometimes a little…_

_I want to see people fulfill the best dreams they have, I want to make a legacy and help them become better people. And although I know have to endure a lot of responsibility to make that dream come true, I think I can do it…_

_I admit it: I'm flying by the seat of my pants…I've never heard of this strange jester until now…yet something about him resonates with me…something about THEM resonates with me…_

_I'm gonna do everything I can to help them…I've got a big responsibility to fulfill if I'm to return to the ones I love…_

_Now…let's…DO THIS THING!_

* * *

**NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams**

* * *

**WILL'S STORY**

**PROLOGUE**

The sun shone brightly over Bellbridge, the jewel of Europe. Established in the year 1320, it had grown from a small little hamlet to a beautiful and lush metropolis. The city had a large river running through its center and a tall bridge that carried those in need across it. The buildings seemed packed together on either side of the city, yet despite this…as the sun rose higher and higher into the sky, changing it from purple and yellow to the familiar bright blue that people so loved, the people of the Bellbridge began to awake and start their days.

Large train tracks ran high above the city on large tracks, and located a short distance beneath one, on the right side of the river, was a large park that many children played different kinds of ball, usually soccer…or as the British would say, "Football".

Bouncing the ball up and down on his knee a few times, the boy then let it settle down onto the ground and began kicking it around green traffic cones with a two white stripes upon them. He twirled the ball around as he leapt into the air, capturing it between his feet, and then he let loose a mighty spinning kick that sent the ball flying through the air at top speed.

The man guarding the goal lunged for it but in vain, in vain, it soared too fast past his outstretched hand, straight into the goal. He smiled and picked it up from the ground, looking proudly at his son. "Great shot, Will." His father told him, tossing the ball back.

William Taylor beamed and bounced the ball on his knee a few times, then let it back down, resting one foot upon it, a joyful smile upon his face as the familiar blue of the sky beamed over his head, matching his eyes. His dirty blond hair fell down just over his forehead, impossible to muss up. He was wearing a teal and orange vest with two large pockets on the front and a red t-shirt with a khaki longsleeve undershirt underneath. He wore a dark khaki pair of cargo shorts and blue sneakers with yellow waves on the sides and He continued to smile…until suddenly the world around him became cloudy and dark, and a dark mist filled his senses. He felt a chill run through him…what was going on?

Then he turned around and saw his father, all dressed up in a business suit, suitcase packed and ready to enter his car that would take him away…to the airport, the airport, how could he have forgotten?

Will ran over to him instantly. "No, no, don't go, dad!"

His father rumpled his hair and smiled warmly. "I promise, I'll come back for your game. I wouldn't miss it for the world, Will." He told his son gently…

And then he was flying away on the plane…and then…he was gone, leaving Will alone, hand still outstretched, a look of longing on his face. "Dad…"

Will hung his head as the world turned pitch black around him and his lips quivered slightly and his arms hung by his side. Then…he heard laughter…

He looked up and saw it…he was surrounded by his team mates and…and they were all chuckling, giggling, laughing at him, but something wasn't right. Their eyes were…were all black with red pupils.

Suddenly Will felt fear grip him hard. He began to gasp…and he gasped even more when his "friends" turned into horrible smoky wisps of darkness, with leering mouths and eyes of red that lunged to claim him. He screamed and ran, stumbling for a brief moment before he continued to bolt for it, he was a soccer player he could do this he could-he wasn't outrunning them! He wasn't outrunning them and they were gaining on him!

Or at least…they were…until he saw it. The beautiful white light shining before him. He spread his arms wide and welcomed it's warmth as it banished the dark clouds that were chasing him into nothingness…

Falling, falling gently…and stars whizzed all around him. Occasionally one hit him and he felt a tickling sensation that made him laugh before finally he landed on a white path of stone. He looked at his surroundings…the path was in the middle of a grassy clearing surrounded by forest, and before him was a great gate that had two decapitated Greek statues "guarding" it. There was a fountain that appeared dried up far ahead, an empty abyss that led into darkness behind him and right before him was…

Was a bunch of strange, glowing blue orbs…how odd they looked. They appeared to be swirling around, like somebody had taken crystal balls and sloshed them full of blue water. Will couldn't help it, he approached the blue balls and they whizzed around him before vanishing with little "plop" sounds as little blue sparks sailed into the air.

Slowly but surely he made his way towards the fountain, looking around. And then a voice spoke up, wise and experienced.

"Visitor from another world, welcome!"

Will looked around. What?

"I take it that this is your first time here!"

Will turned around and let out a "WOAH" in surprise at what he saw…a brown owl wearing golden glasses, a dark purple jacket and a blue shirt. He was quite portly and fat, yet seemed friendly enough.

"I…am Owl. I've lived here since…well, since before you were born! And I'll bet you're wondering just where "here" is, eh?" He asked politely.

Will nodded.

"Well tell me…have the things you've felt while you were asleep ever felt particularly…real to you? Have you ever thought for sure that it all had to be something more? Well, that's because what your people think of as dreams is really THIS world!" The owl explained.

Will blinked as he lay on his rump. "A world…of dreams?" Will asked softly.

"Yes, precisely! This…is the Night Dimension, the place where people who dream make their way to!" Owl said happily, rising into the air. "This area here is known as The Dream Gate, my boy!"

Then, as Will rose up and dusted himself off he heard something, and Owl did as well. A beautiful, enchanting melody that made Will feel…happy and joyful. He felt more at home already, almost. And as they looked up, they saw the source of it…

Sitting on the air was a jester-like being, wearing a purple, two-pronged cap that had dark purple rings. The jester was wearing a red and pink vest with a sparkling red crystal on the front as a clasp and gold trimmings. The jester had purple pants that appeared to be quite tight and smooth, and wore white gloves. This jester had on pink boots with purple tips and big, large, cat-like eyes that were the color of the sky.

"Oh, if it isn't that carefree little rascal again!" Owl remarked, amused.

The jester was playing some sort of invisible flute and it was very good at what it was doing. When it noticed the owl and the boy, it flew around in the air, sending beautiful sparkles of light flickering behind it before it hovered down to look at Will, hands upon its hips.

"Hey, now THIS one looks interesting!" It remarked, flying around Will with a curious expression on its face. It finally returned to face Will and smiled gently. Its voice sounded quite English, yet Will couldn't honestly tell if the jester was a boy or a girl…the voice could have gone either way, and it didn't seem to have breasts…

"My name is NiGHTS. What's yours?" NiGHTS asked.

"I…I'm Will." Will said.

"Will, huh?" NiGHTS asked, tilting his head…and Will was fairly sure NiGHTS was a boy…to the side a little. "Say, Will…have you ever thought about flying?" NiGHTS asked, putting his hands on hips and looking straight at Will's eyes with his own. He then held out his hand. "If you Dualize with me, you can check it out for yourself? Want to give it a shot?"

Will looked puzzled. "Dual?"

"DU-AL-LIZE?" NiGHTS said, almost poking Will in the face in desperation. "What, did I not say it clearly enough?"

"Oh-oooh!" Owl hooted. "Dualizing allows your body to assimilate with one another!"

Will's blank look told Owl all he needed to know, which was that Will knew NOTHING about the process.

"It's probably much easier to understand if you just try it yourself. Go and touch NiGHTS…you'll see what I mean." Owl said, flying back a little.

The jester held his hand up again, smiling. Will hesitated at first, then reached out and placed his hand on the jester's…

A moment later their eyes closed simultaneously as a brilliant light surrounded them, rising up between them and spreading out to send sparks flying into the night sky. A moment later…

"I'm…I'm…"

Will looked down at his hands and realized it. He...was the jester! He was NiGHTS…and he…was…FLYING!

"Allow me to explain. You're now sharing NiGHTS's body, my boy!" Owl said happily. "You've combined. Now, why not take a spin around?"

Will was amazed. He felt so light…so free! He swirled through the air, looping around as a golden trail of light emitted from his gold and purple wristbands on his…or rather, the jester's…no, THEIR wrists. They flew around a tree branch, looping over it, and suddenly it vanished in a puff of sparkling light.

"Wh-what was that?" Will asked.

"Ah, that's called the paraloop technique! Using it on things that your heart is attracted to will bring them into your body so that your heart can hold onto them…right now your heart is holding onto Blue Chips, correct?" Owl asked, sitting on top of the fountain.

Will blinked. "Those…those blue orbs? Yes, I…I feel them, in…in the back of me, almost…"

"Don't worry, they're meant to revitalize your spirit! And if you collected all of them, something very special would happen, I'm sure." Owl laughed. "Now if you paraloop around an enemy, well, it will send it packing out into the abyss! You'll be able to teach rapscallions a lesson, my boy!" Owl explained. "Sometimes you can even paraloop and hold onto objects with NiGHTS's twinkle dust and send them flying through the air…he tried that on me, once…"

Will chuckled madly.

"Now, now, let's move on…let me tell you about a more advanced flying technique. It's called the Drill Dash." Owl said, raising a feathered wing. "Aim for those floating rings over there." Owl said, gesturing at strange rings that were floating in the air, made up of golden orbs. Will was puzzled, but soared at them. "Now spin around, spin your body rapidly!"

Will was unsure at first, but he gave it a try, and surprised himself as he spun around and around like a top, whizzing at high speed through the rings and making the golden orbs fly around him before he absorbed them into his body. He felt powerful and free…it was amazing!

"That's the Drill Dash, dear visitor." Owl explained. "Just remember, although it gives you quite the boost of speed and power, it eventually wears out unless you fly through more of those Link rings! They give you more power so you can continue to perform the Drill Dash. Now then…" Owl adjusted his glasses slightly. "It's time to-oh!" He suddenly heard shouts coming from behind them and gasped at what they were…

"Nightmarens! Oh dear, oh dear! Quick, quick, use the paraloop on them!" Owl said. "How dare they come to the Dream Gate…such barbarians!"

Will saw the approaching monsters and got a good look at them. They were strange-looking creatures with tentacle-like legs underneath bodies that resembled a snail at the top, and had large eyes. The tentacles floated in the breeze as they came closer and closer…

"Paraloop…alright, I can do this!" Will said, flying forward at them. "Just do a loop around them, just do a loop around them…"

-Yeah, you can do it!-He heard NiGHTS voice say inside of him. -One big loop will send them packing!-

Will traced a large circle around the nightmarish creatures and in an explosion of twinkling sparks, they vanished into nothingness. "Woohoo!" Will said happily, soaring through the air, heading past the forest to the edge of the island area they were on…

Suddenly NiGHTS took over, stopping him. "Hey, hold it! You see that black sea down there? Make sure you stay away from it!" He told Will, pointing down.

"Ah, yes…you must never go near the Dark Ocean." Owl said, flapping to be next to them. "It is a world of darkness and chaos! If you should slip in…HOO!" He shivered. "You may never return…"

The dark abyss beneath them churned slowly, making no sound, yet filling Will with a sense of sorrow and slowly increasing horror. He rose back up away from it and the feeling vanished. NiGHTS then smiled.

"That wasn't bad for your first time flying, Will!" He said. "Let's head back to the Dream Gate!"

The three of them flew back to the gate area, and as NiGHTS and Will separated into two different entities again…an experience that made Will slightly dizzy…Owl suddenly let out a "hoo-hoo" and adjusted his glasses. "How _curious_…the door to Nightopia has appeared!" He exclaimed, pointing at a large wooden door that had appeared to the side, with a small set of white steps leading up to it.

"Nightopia?" Will asked. "What's that?" He asked, a curious, happy feeling filling him as he stepped towards the door.

"Oh, it's…" Owl was about to explain when suddenly he stopped. "That…that red light! It's the Ideya of Courage!"

"Ideya?" Will asked, looking down at his hands and seeing them glow with a brilliant crimson light…it was amazing. "Woah!"

"Ah, yes, here in the Night Dimension, there's a world called Nightopia, created by the light of Ideya! Your Ideya must have called this world into being!"

"That's AMAZING, Will!" NiGHTS said, flying in front of Will and pushing him aside. "Most visitors end up losing all of their Ideya on their way here when the Nightmarens try and take it from them!"

Will thought back to the cloudy, smoky beasts that had been leering as they chased him. From the way they spoke, there was more than one kind of Ideya…what was so special about THIS strange red light?

"The Red Ideya is capable of creating a paradise!" The jester laughed happily.

"A PARADISE?" Will asked, his eyes lighting up.

_Oh, Paradise!_

"Yes, a paradise! Let's check it out! I'll see you in there!" NiGHTS said happily, going up to the door and simply vanishing straight through it.

Owl sighed. "Ooh, I DO wish that he would sit still for once…ah well." Owl smiled in a grudging fashion. "I shall finish telling you the rest in Nightopia! See you there, dear visitor!" Owl said, nodding before he too vanished like a bubble bursting.

Will didn't waste any time. He went right up to the door and opened it up, heading through into the warm light…

**Author's note:**

**And so the story begins! By all means, read, review! **


	2. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER ONE**

Will was amazed at the beautiful, crisp valley that appeared before him. The towering rock face to his right that the door was etched into didn't scare him, because the blue sky, lush green grass and tall, strong trees before him were too pretty to behold. The whole area felt…pure…comforting. White puffy clouds lazily drifted in the sky…

And there, playing on that invisible flute, was NiGHTS himself. He was surrounded by slightly cone-headed creatures who were wearing purple jackets, red elf-like shoes and haloes around their heads. "Hey, Will, over here!" The happy jester called out.

Will approached them eagerly just as Owl fluttered down from the sky. "Allow me to introduce the Nightopians. They are the residents of this world!" He explained.

The Nightopians hovered up and down on their small red wings and let out happy calls, calling out "Nightopia" "Hello" and "Hii-hii". Owl laughed lightly. "They are kind, gentle folk who love to sing and play!"

"Hey Will, want to hear me play a tune?" NiGHTS asked cheerfully. "My little friends love the flute, don't you?" he asked, looking at the Nightopians.

The Nightopians suddenly all let out gasps and cries and began flying away at full speed.

Owl looked puzzled. "What is it? What's the matter?" He asked.

Then, suddenly, both Will and Owl felt the wingbeats of…of THINGS behind them. The two turned around and Will was surprised at what he saw…were gigantic birds, with strange, cap-wearing creatures riding on top. The birds were of different colors and had sharp talons while the riders regarded the boy and the owl like they were bugs…but what was most surprising was the jester…yes, another jester. He had almost bluish skin, pale and frightening. He appeared to be muscular and wore a hat and outfit similar to NiGHTS, only his color scheme was red and black. He wore a golden mask upon his face that had a purple gem in the center of it, and had sharp-looking pointed nails of pinkish/red, with blue eyes that matched NiGHTS. He wore gauntlets on his arms and had no pants on, yet was obviously a man.

"I've been looking for you NiGHTS." He said. His voice was discomforting for Will to hear, it was undoubtedly dark in tone. "Where's your persona?" The other jester asked, arms crossed, amused expression on his face. "Took it off again, did you?"

"Hmph. Reala!" NiGHTS remarked, turning away. "Did you come all the way here just to NAG me?"

The jester, who's name was apparently "Reala" chuckled sinisterly. "I go out of my way and THIS is how you repay me?" He raised his hand. "Seize the traitor!" He commanded.

The birds and their riders rushed forward, grabbing the purple jester by his arms. Will immediately rushed forward to try and help, calling out his new friend's name.

"Stay back, lad! You're not match for them!" Owl said, blocking his path.

Reala laughed. "Ha-ha-ha! Listen to the old bird, boy! Now then…you three, lock up the prisoner!" Reala commanded. "I will return here shortly." He then flew off through the air, a satisfied expression on his face as the three birds and their riders took NiGHTS up to the top of a hill. A few moments later a large cage with big windows sprung from the ground, enveloping the jester and trapping him. He spun around and flew back and forth in the cage, shouting to be let out.

"Those…are the Nightmarens." Owl said somberly. "They're from the dark realm of Nightmare. They aim to take Ideya from visitors like you so they can destroy and enslave Nightopia! Normally I wouldn't let you go after NiGHTS in a situation like this, but…you have the Red Ideya, and it is capable of neutralizing the cage!" Owl told Will.

"Really?" He asked.

"Yes, yes, but although you can get inside and dualize with NiGHTS…the effect won't last long as long as that cage is around, and it can't be destroyed unless you have all three keys. If you got them all though…then you and NiGHTS could both escape from Pure Valley!"

Will nodded. "All right…I'll do it!" He said, rushing up the hill towards NiGHTS's cage. He climbed up the golden chain that held the cage up and into a hole that was located at the top. NiGHTS smiled a little.

"What took you so long?" He jested, then held up his hand…

Dualized and back together, the plan was simple: CATCH…THOSE…BIRDS!

The birds and their riders soon realized they had a very, VERY ticked-off jester on their tail who didn't like being locked up in a cage. They split up, hoping that they could regroup later. That, however, turned out to be a big mistake.

NiGHTS and Will combined easily chased them down. The first bird rider flew through golden rings, hoping NiGHTS would crash into the trees that surrounded them. Weaving in and out, NiGHTS then flew up through the branches, high into the sky…and came right back down.

The bird rider looked back. No sign of the jester. Both steed and rider let out a sigh of relief…

WHAMMO! NiGHTS collided hard with them, paralooping around them and throwing them into the ground. The two let out respective squawks, then exploded into light, revealing a shiny key.

"One down…" NiGHTS began.

"Two to go!" Will finished.

The second bird rider made for a large set of hills, hopping up and down and all around them. It was nearly impossible to catch up to this one.

"This is just like a game of cat and mouse!" NiGHTS remarked moments before the bird rider suddenly slipped and fell off a particularly high hill, hitting the ground and exploding, leaving his key behind. "Hmm…cat and mouse. That reminds me of Clawz!" The jester mused.

"Clawz?" Will asked.

"Oh, Clawz was a Cat Nightmaren. He tried to claw me, bite me, blow me up with explosive mice, you know…the usual cat stuff…" NiGHTS said nonchalantly.

"You sure have strange animals here!" Will laughed.

"He used to be lots of fun to play with until…oh, it doesn't matter now. One more key to go!" NiGHTS said.

The third bird rider had decided to hide behind a waterfall. He quivered with fear as NiGHTS floated around, rubbing his chin.

"Now where could he be? Oh where, oh where has that little bird gone, oh where, oh where could he be?" NiGHTS sang.

_My bonnie lies over the ocean…my bonnie lies over the sea…my daddy laid over my mommy…and that's how they got good old me!_

NiGHTS blinked. "Did you just say that?" He asked Will.

"Say what?" Will asked, confused.

"N-Nothing, nothing. I wonder where the old bird's gone off to?" NiGHTS pondered, floating high in the air.

The bird rider breathed a sigh of relief.

_He's behind the waterfall!_

"What was that? Check the waterfall?" NiGHTS asked.

"I thought YOU said that!" Will remarked.

"Must have been Owl!" The jester deduced. "Anyhow, good idea, good idea!"

Hearing that he had been found out, the bird rider soared out of the waterfall, squawking madly. Rider and steed tried to escape…but were suddenly fried in midair by a lightning bolt that split the sky.

"Hmm…Will, how do you like your bird? Regular or extra crispy?" NiGHTS joked.

"Light or dark meat?" Will joked right back.

So, now all three keys belonged to NiGHTS and Will, who flew right back to the cage. Changing back to two separate entities, both Will, NiGHTS and Owl took a key in each hand…or in Owl's case a talon…and shoved it into the three different locks on the cage, which broke apart and dissolved. Will tasted the remains on his hand.

"Mmm…it tastes like candy!"

"Well, next time I'll try EATING my way out!" NiGHTS joked. "Now then, we'd best get moving, there's a lot more that I want to show you more of this area of Nightopia, Will!" The jester told him. "There's lots and lots to see and so little time!"

Suddenly a dark chill filled Will. He shivered instinctively, and NiGHTS glanced up. "Oh dear! Will, quick, I think it's time we came together again!"

_Come together…right now…over me!  
_

"Did you say that?" Will and NiGHTS asked Owl at the same time.

"I thought YOU said it!" Owl said, tilting his head to the side slightly. "In any case, I can feel it…a Nightmaren is approaching!"

"When a Nightmaren is of a strong enough level, called a "general", they can teleport others into their own personal playgrounds of evil!" NiGHTS told Will. "They like to pick a place where they can use their talents best…"

"Is this general the reason why everything's getting so dark and cold?" Will asked, holding his sides as the darkness surrounded them.

"Just take my hand, Will…" NiGHTS said comfortingly.

Will immediately grabbed NiGHTS's hand, and it was a good thing too, because the moment that warm feeling of joining together occurred as Owl vanished away with the rest of the world…a dark change occurred.

Now Will and NiGHTS were in a strange upside-down kind of world. It was like some kind of strange mountainous room, and at the top of the room was a horrible, open-mouthed face with many sharp teeth, eager to swallow anything that dared enter its maw. Red flames were jutting out like horns from this mask-like face, and when you looked at the area below it that NiGHTS and Will now saw…it was like some nightmarish pinball game, with blood red sides, a light purple board and many translucent boxes situated all around. Then, right before them, a red curtain and a stage of steel metal appeared. The red curtain parted, and they saw the Nightmaren responsible for the change in scenery.

It was a roundish being that was dressed like a jester, complete with a blue cap with bells and an outfit to match on it's torso. It looked like some kind of devilish pinball, with silver skin and a large red nose that contrasted with its blue-tinted eyes. It had thin, purple cord-like arms that were stretched out, and long, gloved fingers.

"What the…where is this place?" Will asked. "This tower's really creepy…take us back to Pure Valley!" He demanded.

"And who's going to make meee?" The freaky pinball clown asked, laughing . "You?"

"Who is this thing?" Will asked NiGHTS.

"I dunno…I've never seen him before." NiGHTS remarked, putting his hands on his hips. "Though he reminds me of Puffy, that old fatty-fat-fatty! She couldn't carry a tune in a bucket…and he has a laugh that's just as creepy and annoying as hers!"

"I am Donbalon!" The pinball announced. "Puffy's disciple!"

"Well THAT'S interesting!" NiGHTS remarked. "Well, if you're going to take over for the fat lady and replace her, you have to know how it goes!"

Donbalon blinked. "What?" He asked, annoyed.

"They say it's not over until the fat lady sings…let's make you sing quickly!" NiGHTS remarked. "I don't like this tower…I think we should tear it down, don't you, Will? It doesn't suit Pure Valley!"

_Time for you two to be pinball wizards!_

Donbalon blinked slowly. "Uh, who was that?" He asked.

Taking advantage of Donbalon's surprise, NiGHTS shot forward and paralooped around him, grabbing him.

"No-no-no-no-" Donbalon shouted. NiGHTS flung him up, high, high into the air, through a gate at the top.

_Two more to go…keep it up!  
_

NiGHTS flew back up after Donbalon, grabbing him again and bouncing him off the walls. The pinball clown let out a screech as he went back and forth, back and forth, finally slamming into 

the gate and going through…hitting the wall and then bouncing off, into the last gate. A pathway was now open…right to the top of the tower, with all those spikes.

_Burst his bubble!  
_

Drill-dashing right up at Donbalon, NiGHTS grabbed him by the hand and flung him up towards the spiky maw of the tower.

"Oh nooooo-"

BA-BOOOOM! He exploded into confetti, and a triumphant NiGHTS and Will whizzed through the air as slowly but surely the scenery faded. NiGHTS and Will separated and Will found himself falling back down…down…down to the Dream Gate, where Owl lay waiting.

"Oh-hoo-hoo! A SPLENDID job, dear visitor! Defeating that giant Nightmaren was no small feat!" Owl said.

"Oh, no-no-no!" Will protested, holding his hands up and shaking them back and forth. "That was NIGHTS's power!" He insisted.

"Humble, aren't you?" Owl remarked. "Anyhow, you mustn't rest on your laurels just yet! You see, all visitors originally have 5 Ideya when they enter the Night Dimension." Owl told him, flying to sit on the edge of the fountain. "You held onto your Red Ideya, which represents Courage and Bravery. The Blue Ideya represents Intelligence and Knowledge. The White Ideya represents Purity and Kindness. The Green Ideya represents Wisdom and Growth, and the Yellow Ideya represents Hope and Faith. If you lost your red Ideya, you would be able to look forward to nothing but nightmares all your life!"

Will gaped. "Oh wow…"

"But if you do not get your other Ideya back, Nightopia cannot be completed. Since Ideya are Nightopia's source and that it is even EXISTING at the moment, this can only mean…" Owl rubbed his chin. "It means that they are still around, most likely hidden! Listen closely…the Ideya are made up from your aura, from the light that shines from your heart."

"My…heart?" Will asked, putting his hand over his chest.

"Yes." Owl said, nodding. "Get the remaining four Ideya, and you WILL win over the Nightmaren forces."

"Gee…no pressure or anything!" Will chuckled nervously.

"You needn't worry, visitor." Owl said cheerfully. "NiGHTS will be will you…and I shall be here to guide you along and aid you to the best of my ability. Come…let us return to Pure Valley…"

"Ready to go, Will?" NiGHTS asked, floating through the air down to the fountain and landing at the very top. "Pure Valley awaits us!"

_And so Will, NiGHTS and Owl approached the door back to the Pure Valley region of Nightopia, to begin a new quest…_

"Alright, who's SAYING that?" NiGHTS called out. "Come on out, don't be shy!"

_Darn it, darn it, darn it! It was SUPPOSED to be said out loud…oh fine, I suppose it can't be helped!  
_

A large star in the sky suddenly twinkled, and then came soaring down…finally coming to a halt as a large, twinkling star-shaped platform. A teenager jumped off of it, spreading his arms and showing himself off. He had brown hair that was curly/wavy and brushed back, and he wore a big blue vest with a green polo shirt underneath. He wore blue jeans and had a very nice and friendly face, with white sneakers. He had on a blue watch with many buttons and wore a circular mood necklace that had a shark tooth attached to it.

"Hello there!" He said cheerily. "I'm the narrator…and it's very nice to meet you all!"

**Author's Note: I never said this was going to be an ORDINARY adaptation! Read, review. **


	3. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER TWO**

You know those moments where all of time freezes and it seems that there's nothing that you can say, not because the words aren't there and ready to be said, but because you quite literally can't sound them out?

This was one of those moments. The owl, the jester and the boy all stood there, looking at the teenager who had just introduced himself. All of them just stared, mouths wide open…well, except for NiGHTS, who regarded the human with interest. Finally the jester broke the silence as he turned to look at Owl and Will.

"You can't keep your mouth open forever y'know, you'll let flies in!" He laughed.

"That's true." The teenager remarked.

The other two shut their mouths. Owl spoke up.

"Did you…I'm sorry, did you truly say "narrator" dear sir?" The owl asked.

"Yep! I'm the narrator!" The kid said. "The name is Nick!"

"So that was YOU who told us where the bird rider was!" Will said, pointing at the teen.

"And that was YOU who we heard in Donbalon's place!" NiGHTS said, whizzing over to the teen. "I must say, you certainly are interesting…most narrators are stuffy old fellows from what I hear! Owl, care to explain to Will what's going on?"

Owl nodded. "Most certainly! You see, visitor, narrators are omnipotent storytellers here in the Night Dimension. They're Dreamers, like you, who have gained incredible privilege. In exchange for omnipotence, they guide dreamers through dreams of all kinds! It's their job to make sure a dreamer doesn't die in his sleep…"

"You die here, you do die back in your bed…" The teen added sadly. "Sorry, that must come as a total shock to you…it scared me quite a lot."

"CRIKEY!" Will exclaimed. "Well…NiGHTS is here…I'm not that worried."

"Don't be, don't be!" The teen said. "You're going to do great, you two. I'll make sure of it. I'm going to help you in any way I can!"

"I thought though, that most narrators had to be impartial and couldn't be so…well, so OPENLY guiding…" Owl remarked, raising an eyebrow. "I mean, direct interference is so rarely done!"

"Well, I'm not like other people. I'm **ECCENTRIC**." The teen said proudly, jabbing his thumb at his chest. "In any case…it's time I headed back…I've got lots of work to do, you know."

He jumped back up onto the star-shaped platform and waved cheerfully, then he and the star soared up into the sky, vanishing once more.

"Time to get going, I suppose." NiGHTS remarked. "Come on, Will, let's head back to Pure Valley!"

SOON…

NiGHTS and Will had recombined and were now soaring through the air of Pure Valley as the sun shone down gently and the wind ruffled the grass. There was a large river running around a series of hills and on top several of the hills were large red windmills who's blades spun lazily around and around. A large mountain loomed over the area.

Then something caught both of their attention: a large blue and pink jar…with a strange creature inside. It resembled an Octopus in basic shape, only it was the same color as the light blue jar it was in, and both jar and creature had pink spots upon it.

"Ooh-hoo-hoo!" Owl said, flying down to join NiGHTS and Will. "Octopaw has squirreled himself away in that jar. What a silly little thing he is!"

"Octo-what?" Will asked.

"Octopaw is…an unusual Maren. He's harmless, really…when he flies, he expels a series of rings and-"

Suddenly Octopaw saw them, and it's big white eyes widened. It took off, chittering to itself in nervousness.

"Hey, he ran off!" Will said, pointing with NiGHTS's body. As the strange creature floated away through the air, it expelled golden rings behind it the way a squid expels ink…strange indeed!

"Well then, how about we have some fun, Will? Let's chase after Octopaw and see how many of his rings we can fly through! I'll go first, and let's see if you can beat my record, how about that?" NiGHTS asked cheerfully.

"All right!" Will agreed. "That sounds fun!"

NiGHTS took over and flew after the octopus, which had just expelled some rings. He made a paraloop around some Blue Chips then dove under a large natural bridge and swooped through the golden rings. "One, two, three, four, five, six in one go!"

Then he soared up over to some trees and sailed through another set of rings, twirling his body in a Drill Dash. "Seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen! Ha-ha!"

Then he swirled down after Octopaw, passing right underneath a waterfall that was trailing off a high-topped cliff, sending water straight into the river. "Fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty, twenty-one, twenty-two!"

Finally he followed the octopus across the river and passed through more rings before he twirled up into the air, landing on a tree. "And…THERE! Fifty! Whatcha think of that, Will?"

"That was amazing!" Will admitted. "But I'll bet I can match it!"

"Well then, go ahead Will, let's see what you can do!" NiGHTS said eagerly, letting Will take over.

Will saw Octopaw passing by a windmill, circling around it and creating some rings. He immediately followed in the octopus's "footsteps" and spun around the windmill, making the blades spin a little faster. Octopaw sailed over to another windmill, and Will followed after, once again spinning around the blades. Then another came…the another…after four windmills, all of them were spinning rapidly, so rapidly they floated up into the sky slightly before they finally came back down.

Will, meanwhile, was now passing underneath a waterfall, diving right through it and ducking down, twirling over the river and passing one hand through the water, a happy smile on his face. Finally he drill-dashed through the remaining rings on the river before looping up and soaring into the sky after Octopaw, who made a sudden dive for the mountain.

Will followed right after, circling the mountain, then finding Octopaw settling down into the water of a large lake at the top of the mountain. He soared through the last of the rings, then twirled around in mid-air! "Done! How did I do, NiGHTS?" he asked eagerly.

"55, Will! You got 55!" Owl announced, flying over. "Most impressive, MOST impressive!"

"Sure beat my record!" NiGHTS said. "Now then…how about I show you a change of scenery? Some of the western part of Pure Valley is really amazing to look at…"


	4. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER THREE**

Returning back to the Dream Gate, Will decided to take a load off and sit down by the empty fountain. He lay on his back, looking up at the stars and seeing if he could pick out any constellations that were familiar to him.

After fifteen minutes of silence, Owl re-appeared from nowehrre and flapped over, sitting by the Visitor.

"That Octopaw was…rather weird." Will remarked.

_Hey, weird is the new normal! _They heard the narrator cry out.

"Don't upset the Octopaw, he may look nasty but he's really quite easily frightened. He is a harmless Maren, I assure you."

"Maren?" Will asked.

"Yes, there are Maren, Nightopians and Nightmaren. Maren are the creatures in-between Nightopians and Nightmarens, neither good nor bad. Speaking of Nightopians…" Owl rubbed his chin. "I've heard that recently Dandelion Island Nightopians are becoming spooked. I hope it's nothing serious."

"They really can't defend themselves too well." NiGHTS admitted, hovering by as he sat on an invisible chair of sorts. "Luckily I'm always here to help!

"Dandelion Island?" Will asked. "Oh, I love Dandelions! Can we go?"

NiGHTS grinned. "I thought you'd never ask! Take my hand Will…"

SOON…

Will stepped out into the light and saw it…a beautiful, lush field with tall green grass. A few trees and shrubs grew here and there, true, and there were large mountains in the distance, along with cliffs that had gigantic waterfalls pouring down them, allowing crystal clear water to flow down. But what caught his eye were the Dandelions.

They were ENORMOUS. They towered over him, as tall as trees, ready to spread their puffy white seeds across the valley as they gently blew back in the breeze. Nightopians flew through the air, happily cheering and playing as they bounced on top of the dandelions.

_Ooh, look at the SIZE of them! I just LOVE dandelions!_

"You too, eh?" NiGHTS asked. "You should try jumping on the top, it's quite fun y'know!"

"The Nightopians sure look happy!" Will said, stepping forward. "You know, near my house there's a park where all the dandelions grow. My dad used to take me there to play all the time!"

"Your dad?" NiGHTS asked, tilting his head.

"Yeah, my dad, you know…don't you…have a father, NiGHTS?" Will asked, turning around. He looked sympathetically at NiGHTS.

NiGHTS crossed his arms. He sighed. "Oh, a father…well…I suppose you…you COULD call him that." He remarked absentmindedly.

"Well what kind of person is he?" Will asked.

NiGHTS's expression suddenly became pained. It was as if he wanted to say something, but…couldn't, just couldn't. Then suddenly little cries rippled through the air.

"What's going on?" Will asked, turning around. Suddenly they saw it…a whirling, swirling vortex of black and purple roared like a hurricane in the air, disrupting the balance of the area.

"Look, Will!" NiGHTS shouted, pointing with a finger. The Nightopians were soaring up, up, into the abyss.

"Oh no, they're getting sucked in!" Will gasped.

"Come on Will, we have to save them! We can use my Paraloop to get them somewhere safe!" NiGHTS said. "My twinkle dust will send them to the Dream Gate, away from this vortex!"

"Right, let's dualize!" Will said, and the two held each other's hands together. A flash of shining light, and they had combined all over again.

"Let's do this." NiGHTS/Will said, rushing at the Nightopians.

One by one the poor little guys were being sucked up, trying in vain to hold onto the large dandelions or the ground below, but the vortex was simply stronger than their small little bodies. Luckily for them, NiGHTS reacted quickly. He soared through the air, Drill Dashing towards the nearest group of Nightopians and then swirling around it, doing a paraloop. In a puff of twinkle dust, they vanished.

MEANWHILE…

Owl, who was reading a book by Sigmund Freud, gasped as a Nightopian popped out of the sky and bonked him on the head before landing right in his lap, knocking the book onto the ground.

"Ooh! NiGHTS, what did I do to deserve this?" He groaned.

BACK TO PURE VALLEY…

"Uh oh!" One of the little guys shouted as he hung onto a floating dandelion seed that was soaring up into the abyss. Just before he entered it, NiGHTS paralooped around him, sending him to the Dream Gate.

"Come on Will, faster, faster!" NiGHTS shouted. They soared through the air towards a particularly large group of Nighttopians and paralooped around them, transporting them.

"This could take a while!" Will shouted. "But we've got to keep going!"

MEANWHILE…

"I say, please-please stop tugging on my wings!" Owl protested. "Mr. Narrator, A WORD!?"

_Now hold on, Will and NiGHTS will be done soon enough!_

BACK TO PURE VALLEY…

The dandelions were whipping back and forth as the vortex picked up speed. Seeds and Nightopians and grass chunks were flying up like mad, but NiGHTS and Will would not give up. They continued to loop around the Nightopians, sending them to the Dream Gate.

"Keep it up, Will, we're doing it, we're doing it!" NiGHTS shouted. They paralooped around another group and finally came to a halt in midair.

"Phew…I think that's it!" Will said.

"And the vortex seems to be dying down." NiGHTS remarked, pointing up into the sky as the black abyss slowly but surely vanished into nothingness. "I wonder how Owl is doing?"

The two of them undualized and headed back for the door that would take them to the Dream Gate. As soon as they opened it a bright line shone, blinding them…

And then they were greeted by the sight of dozens of Nightopians, all bouncing around and playing. A large group had arranged themselves like a pyramid, another group was climbing up a tree and shimmying up and down it, while Owl chased after one particular group of rascals had had taken his book.

"No-no-no, give me back my book! I say, you should respect your elders!" He hollered.

NiGHTS and Will began to laugh. They heard the narrator join in.

_Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-haaa! Oh, it feels good to laugh so much! _

"I say, this is serious, give me back my book!"

The Nightopians suddenly came to a stop, the turned around, handing the book back to Owl, who took it eagerly and lay back down on the fountain's edge.

"Thank you, Mr. Narrator." He said, looking up at the stars.

_Oh, it's no biggie, really. I'm here to help, remember?_

Will and NiGHTS had split back up again. NiGHTS stood on top of the platform, playing his invisible flute, which caused all of the Nightopians to look up at him. The narrator laughed happily, and they saw him descending on his star once again.

"In the night…dream delight…I want to see you standing there! In the night…dream delight…I found someone who really cares!" He sang out.

"Ooh, you've got a nice voice!" NiGHTS complimented.

The teenager blushed a little. "Gee, uh…thanks, mahalo, it means quite a bit coming from you."

"Mahalo?" Will asked.

"Oh, it's Hawaiian. You should visit Hawaii sometime, my ohana would love to see you NiGHTS, especially Jumba…he'd probably want to dissect you, but still…"

"Ohana? Jumba?"

"Oh, Jumba's like my uncle, and _ohana_ means family." The teen explained. "The bonds of family are really important."

Will blinked a few times. Then he nodded. "Yeah, they…they are…" He thought to himself.

"Say…I wish to ask you something." Owl remarked. "Narrators are specially chosen Dreamers…usually something separates Narrators from normal Dreamers…what makes you different? Is there something we should know about you?"

The teenager blinked. "Well…it's like this…"

He brushed his hair back. "I was at one point a simple enough kid going into high-school, an ordinary freshman that was visiting a movie with his family…then they get sucked into the silver screen. So I do what anybody else would have done, I rushed in after them."

He clenched his fist and grinned. "Well, I eventually got them back…but I continued to go on adventure after adventure. My most recent experience was with a dear group of friends who's world was defended by the Blue Blur himself…Sonic the Hedgehog."

NiGHTS blinked. "Sonic…the…Hedgehog? Somehow that name's VERY familiar!"

"Anyhow…let me tell you what happened. I had managed to acquire ownership of a superstore, and I had selected a crew to run it. I was doing great business…"

Nick told them his story. Of fights with robots and monsters, facing down a watery god, outsmarting a so-called "evil genius", helping two hedgehogs go out on a date, befriending somebody who had once been hated by all…

"And then, there I was, with three psychopathic and sadistic robots attacking my superstore, and Ray was trapped inside? Did I tremble with fear? DID I? NO! I chaos-controlled myself right in, rushed up the stairs and teleported Ray right out, and then, just as I did so I looked out a hole that had been knocked open during the onslaught and I saw Metal preparing to fire an incredible weapon. He let it loose at me, I shielded myself, and then oblivion welcomed me with open arms…I found myself surrounded by beautiful stars a moment later and landed here…in Nightopia, which was a good thing and a WAAAAY better choice than being really most sincerely dead!" Nick laughed, brushing his hair back.

"…you're very melodramatic." Owl remarked.

"You're a very interesting person!" NiGHTS remarked cheerfully.

"You're kind of weird, but I think we can trust you." Will said.

"Well thanks, Will. Say, there's this one part of Pure Valley you might want to visit..."

**Author's Note:**

**Until I begin to conquer my Sonic-inspired writer's block, I shall continue to update this story at least weekly. Excelsior! **


	5. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER FOUR**

The familiar blue sky of Pure Valley shone above, and the large mountains surrounded them. But all around was a beautiful, big river/stream that had crystal clear water. NiGHTS and Will walked forward, with NiGHTS putting his hands on his hips as he hovered in the air above the water and Will wading through. The Nightopians were splashing around, some were even playing "Marco Polo", and a bunch of them were all spinning around in the water, laughing.

A look of absolute joy came over Will as he splashed some water into the air. It came down, sparkling like gemstones, around him. "Wow, everyone sure looks like they're having a good time!"

"You think so?" NiGHTS asked, tilting his head slightly. "I don't think they look NEARLY as happy as you do, Will!" He said, laughing gently.

Will rubbed the back of his neck, laughing along. "Ha-ha-ha! It's just…well, the river makes me think about my dad, he…he always used to take me to the river behind by the park when I was little."

NiGHTS floated over. "Sounds like your dad's really nice!" He remarked.

Will closed his eyes, head bowed slightly. He could hear his father's voice calling out. "Ha ha ha! Good job, Will! That's my boy!" A brief feeling of longing passed over his face. "He's away on a business trip and…and I don't know if he'll even come back for my big soccer game. I miss him…him and his laugh…"

"Ha-ha-ha…"

Suddenly his father's laugh became dark and cruel…turning into another's laugh that echoed through the air. NiGHTS and Will looked up at the source, a dark, red-tinted cloud that was hovering over the Nightopians!

"_**Wizeman**_!" NiGHTS growled, clenching his fists.

"W-Wizeman?" Will asked.

"Remember when I said that I sort of had a dad? Well, he's NOT like your dad, Will…he's rather worse!" NiGHTS said. "And that's him up there! Well, part of him, anyhow…what on EARTH is he up to?"

The laughter got louder. Suddenly all the valley shook as an Earthquake rumbled through the air. Will fell flat on his butt, getting himself soaked.

"Will, are you alright?" NiGHTS asked, helping him up.

"I-I'm fine, but what about the Nightopians?" The boy asked, pointing. They were getting swept down the river in the harsh current. "They're being swept away, and the river's too fast for me to catch up to them!"

"We've got to help them! If the river's fast…" NiGHTS grinned. "We'll just have to use that to OUR advantage!"

"Huh?" Will looked confused. "What do you mean?"

"Dualize with me and you'll see!" NiGHTS said, giving him a thumbs up. He then twirled around and extended his arms as he lay flat on the river. Suddenly his body stretched out, and his arms swung back. The tips of his jester cap went completely straight as they thrust out behind him and his legs puffed up...he'd become a motorboat!

"Come on, Will! Grab them and get them in the boat!" NiGHTS said.

Will nodded. "Let's do it!" He said.

The boat took off down the river. One Nightopian was clinging to a nearby rock, about to fall in. Luckily Will snatched him up and put him inside the boat. The next Nightopian was floundering around, caught by a large tree trunk that had fallen into the water, with one branch suspending the little guy high. Will stood up and quickly pulled him down, letting the Nightopian into the boat.

The next Nightopian was desperately trying to paddle away from some rapids, crying out in fear. Will reached out with both arms and quickly pulled him into the boat as Boat NiGHTS passed over the rapids, with a cry of "hang on"! Will and the Nightopians held on tightly, and they passed by a series of rocks, just BARELY missing one.

Then came a LARGE drop. Everyone screamed in surprise, fear or sheer joy as they hit the water below and a large wave splashed up, soaking them. Luckily nobody was hurt, and Boat NiGHTS continued downt he river.

"Tic-tac-toe, three in a row!" NiGHTS shouted, and Will saw three little floaters trying to stay above water. Luckily now the Nightopians IN the boats were helping, and though it took two Nightopians just to pull one out of the water, they got the threesome in the boat, much to Will's amazement.

"Nice one…but we're not finished yet!" NiGHTS called out. Now they were passing over a large lake that had waterfalls emptying out into it…and Nightmarens hovering nearby, tentacles ready to grab.

"Stay down!" Will shouted as one came close. He grabbed it by a tentacle and swung it through the air. It hit the wall of a rock face and exploded. Will then dove to the side of Boat NiGHTS and grabbed up a Nightopian who was being drenched underneath a waterfall, putting the little guy with his other friends.

"Look, a windmill!" They had just passed by a red windmill and were racing down the river at top speed. "We're almost at the end of the river!" NiGHTS shouted. "We've almost done it, Will!"

"There's still one more!" Will shouted back, pointing far ahead. There was a Nightopian about to fall from a tree branch he'd grabbed onto that was situated just above the water. "Quick, drop in!" Will shouted to him.

The Nightopian didn't have to be told twice. He immediately let go and fell into the boat with the others. And a few moments later…

"PHEW…" Owl said as he sat on the bank with the other Nightopians. "I'm glad you're all alright!"

"We did it, we did it, we did it!" Boat NiGHTS said, bouncing up and down happily. "Sure showed Wizeman a thing or two, didn't we, Will?"

"Absolutely!" Will said. "Ooh…but my bottom is soaked…"

Then a towel flopped down from the sky, landing on Will's head. He took it off and looked up. "Thank you, Mr. Narrator!"

_It's no biggie…really! But hey, I want next ride!_


	6. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER FIVE**

NiGHTS and Will had re-dualized and were back in Pure Valley, overlooking the area from the mountains. They'd been going around Pure Valley, just simply flying through gold rings and collecting Blue Chips.

"It's so beautiful here." Will told NiGHTS.

"It's better seeing it with someone you trust." The jester said, laughing.

"NiGHTS, how often do you get to dualize with others?" Will asked, curious.

NiGHTS laughed a little. "Oh, not very often at all! I've only done it with a few others. One of them was a boy like you named Elliot Edwards, the other was a girl named Claris Sinclair…" The jester felt a nostalgic feeling rise in him. "You would have liked to meet them. They're probably all grown up now…I'll miss them."

"When did you meet them?" Will asked.

NiGHTS rubbed his…their…chin. "Er…I believe it was at least 10 years ago…"

Then a chill filled Will to the bone as he heard a deep, bounding noise that was getting louder. "N-Nights? I…I think somebody's coming!"

"Hmph." NiGHTS said, frowning a little. "I'll bet **I** know who it is…I think we're about to see what's been behind all the trouble here!"

They turned around and saw a looming dark void coming towards them, bouncing up through the air. "Nightmaren Generals can distort time and space…so let's go and give him a house call, shall we?" NiGHTS remarked, flying through the void…

They looked around them…they were back at that nightmarish tower, looking at a big stage, where Donbalon was hopping around, spinning his pinball body. The tower was now far taller, and had strange carts running across it with large spikes tipping their tops, and now the tower looked less like a strange pinball table and more like the long body of some boney demon, with the strange, fanged mask at the top, fire burning in it's eyes.

"Hee-hee-hee-hee!" Donbalon snickered, waving cheekily. "Well, well, we meet again! I don't appreciate you ruining all my master's fun!"

"Wizeman's idea of "fun and games" aren't very fun at all!" NiGHTS protested. "And YOU, sir, are just an overgrown balloon that I think we need to POP, just like that annoying fat singer Puffy!"

"Who's Puffy?" Will asked as they soared at Donbalon and paralooped around him, sending him up into the air, crashing through a bony gate and hitting a criss-crossing carriage, making it explode and sending the pinball clown hitting the wall.

"Well, Will…" NiGHTS remarked, thinking back. "Remember how I told you about Elliot and Claris? Well, the two children dualized with me and together we fought against some very nasty Nightmaren! The first we faced down was a horrible female Nightmaren named Puffy…"

"Stop ignoring me!" Donabalon remarked, bouncing at them, intending to squash them. NiGHTS quickly dove under him, then around, forming a paraloop and grabbing the large pinball clown. He then aimed him straight up and fired, and by some miracle…

WA-WOOOOP! He went sailing up, missing the carts and carriages and going through four gates…right up into the spiked maw of the mask.

"Oh NOOOOO!" Donbalon shouted, just before he exploded into purple confetti.

NiGHTS looped around and around in the air. "Ha-ha! We did it, Will! That was easy…just like Puffy!"

"What happened with Puffy?" Will asked once again.

NiGHTS stopped himself in midair. "Hmm…well, Claris, Elliot and I were all at Spring Valley…it was a place created by Claris's heart, to symbolize her admiration for her father, her "Ideal". And it was there I met back up with Puffy…you see, originally Nightmaren and Nightopian lived in peace along with the free spirits of this world…"

…

…

…

…there they were, inside of a strange house that had large, trampoline-like blue beds. The walls had been painted a rather tasteless blend of pink, green, yellow and blue, and there, in the center, was a large woman…or at least something that looked like one. She was very, very fat and shaped like a large, bouncing ball. She had on a pink mask over her eyes with blue-painted eyelids and lush red lips, pink gloves with golden ring wristbands and a dress that looked like a clownish superball. She also had balloon-like breasts that were half-covered by her dress.

NiGHTS had dualed with both the children, the blue-haired boy that was Eliot and the pink-haired Claris. He placed his hands on his hips, looking disappointed in Puffy.

"Honestly, Puffy…you should have stuck to performing in Spring Valley! We all liked it better! Although you still can't carry a tune in a bucket…"

Puffy put her hands on her own hips…or rather, where they WOULD have been and rolled her eyes. "Don't talk back to meeee!" She sang out. "I am a beaauuuutiful woman with a beauuuutiful voice! And once Master Wizeman takes over all of Nightopia, everyone will flock to hear my lovely song…here, you should sing along! I thought up a some lines in my spare time!" She held one gloved hand to her chest and began to sing. "Oh Lord Wiiiizeman you are so wiiiise and truuuuue-"

"That is the most HORRIBLE singing I've ever heard!" Claris remarked. "And believe me, I know singing!...although I'm not THAT good…"

"Claris, you're WAY better than this old hag!" NiGHTS insisted. "Come on…let's prove it! Elliot, you play basketball, don't you? Well then…do your stuff!"

NiGHTS shot forward and promptly grabbed Puffy, dribbling her up and down before shooting her at the wall, causing it to come crashing down. She leapt back up, looking very miffed.

"Why you dirty little prat, why you rotten little brat, how dare you try to break down my home, I'll rip off off your family jewels if you do that again you twat, you will perish if you break my ruuuules!" Puffy sang out.

NiGHTS rushed forward again, avoiding Puffy's gigantic hand and paralooping around her, sending her flying through a window into another room and wrecking a gigantic bed. She groaned and staggered out of the wreckage.

"Now I'm really getting rather mad, you're like a dirty, rotten limey little pack nut! When I've knocked you out, you rotten louts, I'm going to take your head and ram it up my butt!"

NiGHTS raised an eyebrow. "Your butt?"

"That's right, my butt!"

"Your BUTT." Elliot and Claris repeated.

"That's right my butt!"

"Ew!"

"My butt!"

"Yuck!"

"My BUUUUUU-" She put her hand back on her chest and raised her arm up to sing, closing her eyes…and thus not seeing the jester fly forward, grabbing her by her rabbit-like ears and twirling her around and around before he sent her flying into another wall. She got back up, growling. Claris noticed that there was a crystalline roof above her. An idea hit her and she grinned as Puffy inflated herself with anger.

"Now you're really getting me quite mad, you three are really rather rude! When I'm finishing up with you, I'll take your head and ram it 'tween my boo-"

Before she could finish, Claris took over and immediately sang out, holding one hand on her chest and stretching out her arm towards the sky. "Do re me fa so la ti _**DOOOO**_!"

The roof shattered and came crashing down as soon as she hit the high note, making Puffy explode in a sparkling light…

…

…

…

…Will looked around. Where…was he?

Then he was suddenly able to see. He was in a beautiful, pearly abyss…and floating in front of him was a large orb with a brightly shining star in front of him, an orb of white. It was so simple, so elegant, so…

"This white light…this is the White Ideya of Purity and Kindness!" He realized, holding it in his hands. "This is the innocence that was missing from my heart!"

_You did good, kid…you did good…_

…

…

…

…there, floating in the air in all of his cruel and dark awe, was the master of the Nightmaren in his palace. He had six floating hands of metal with clawed fingernails and eyes upon each hand. At first the eyes had appeared to be a mixture of purple and blue, but now they turned a dangerous hue of red and yellow. One hand/eye was circling around the struggling, flailing form of Donbalon, who was unable to speak.

"I see…so you have fallen…failed." Wizeman's deep voice growled. He wore a helmet with many twisted spikes at the top that covered the top of his face, all save his mouth. He wore a large cloaked robe of dark blue and had the appearance of royalty. Circling around his head was a golden halo of sorts…but it didn't make him look holy…only mocking that which was.

Reala kneeled on the one knee in front of his master, looking at the flailing Donbalon. A moment later the large hand that had been circling the Nightmaren closed around him, crushing him into dust. Reala immediately bowed his head, a feeling of desperation and disgust filling him for a moment before he resettled himself.

"Please master. Give me one more chance to reclaim my honor."

The hand that had just crushed Donbalon lazily drifted in front of Reala, looking intently at him with its eye, a tone of amusement in the voice of Wizeman. "And HOW do you propose to do this, Reala?..."

"Leave it to me, Master Wiseman. I have the perfect plan." Reala said softly.

"Very well…but do not fail me again…" Wizeman growled.

"Yes, my master." Reala said, bowing his head.


	7. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER SIX  
**

Will found himself back at the Dream Gate…and with a pretty-looking blue treasure chest before him that had gold trimmings. He walked up to it and opened it up, taking out the contents: a golden mask with a red crystal at the top and blue-tinted eye covers.

"That's the "Dolphin Persona"." NiGHTS remarked. "Ooh, it lets me turn into a dolphin! Pretty cool, huh Will?"

"Oh, I can't wait to try it out!" Will said.

"Well you might get the chance in there…" Owl said, pointing at a door that had newly appeared. "The more Ideya you bring back, the more new areas of Nightopia pop up! Come on, dear visitor, shall we check it out?"

Will nodded eagerly and walked up to the door, opening it. Warmth filled him as light shone everywhere…

And then he was standing in a large, canyon-like area. The sky was the color that took place just a little while before sunset. There was a desert behind him and several large mountain ranges that resembled camels, while before him was a very large amusement park. However, the area was empty, quite empty, and a slightly chilling wind blew.

"So this is the new Nightopia? It…feels a little lonely, don't you think?" Will commented as Owl flew ahead slightly.

Hearing this though, the bird turned around. "Oh, well you see, Nightopia is created as a reflection of a Visitor's heart, after all. If you feel this place is lonely, perhaps…there is missing from YOUR heart." Owl mused.

Will blinked and placed his hand over his heart. "Something is…missing from my heart?"

And then that frightening voice broke through the air. "Ahh. There you are. I've been searching all over for you!"

Will turned around and immediately gasped, stepping back in fear. It was Reala! "Y-you!" Will stammered.

Reala chuckled evilly. "Heh-heh-heh. Oh how I've waited for this moment! The opportunity to get you all alone, dear visitor!" He crowed.

Owl quickly moved in front of Will, protecting him with a glare on his face. "Stay back, Reala! Do not harm the visitor!"

Reala sneered. "Stay out of this, old timer!" He hissed, whacking Owl out of the way. Will tried to go to the bird's side, but Reala suddenly swept down and grabbed the human from behind, holding his right arm behind his back and clenching his pointed nails on Will's vest. "Now…how exactly should I go about getting what I want?" He mused as Will squirmed.

"Get your hands OFF him, Reala!" NiGHTS's voice shouted. Reala turned him and Will around to face the purple jester, who looked furiously at his evil counterpart.

"Ha-ha-ha! Late for the party, aren't we NiGHTS?" Reala laughed. "The Visitor…is coming with me."

"I'm NOT letting you do that!" NiGHTS protested, coming closer.

Reala raised his claws to Will's neck. "Tsk, tsk. The Visitor's life is in my hands. You'd best stay right where you are!"

Reala's "brother" growled, then stepped back. "ARGH!"

"Ha-ha-ha! Thaaat's a good boy!" Reala crowed, snapping his fingers. A large cage shot up from the ground, encasing and trapping NiGHTS.

"NiGHTS!" Will shouted.

"Ooh, I'm sooo scared!" The evil jester laughed. "Don't hurt me, NiGHTS!" He mocked.

"Let…him…GO!" NiGHTS demanded.

Reala raised an eyebrow and tossed a look at Will. "Hmph. You're still worried about the Visitor in the state you're in?" A nasty-looking grin appeared on his face. "Very well." He said softly. "I suppose I only need to bring YOU back to Master Wizeman…"

He tossed Will on the ground and for a moment NiGHTS breathed a sigh of relief. But then Reala's face lit up with dark intent.

"But first, I'm going to get rid of this meddling little visitor once and for all!" He said, sneering as he flew down to Will, looping around him where he'd landed. A strange, pulsing line appeared, being drawn as Reala circled around the human.

"Nooo! Reala, don't!" NiGHTS begged. But Reala ignored him and swooped up after completing the circle. A moment later a dark abyss opened and Will felt himself sink into it.

"AAAAAA!" He shouted just before he vanished.

"WILL!" NiGHTS cried out as Reala laughed and laughed and laughed…

…

…

…

…Will awoke to find himself in an unfamiliar building, in an unfamiliar hall…and without the familiar face of NiGHTS by his side.

"NiGHTS? NiGHTS?" He called out as he looked around, traveling into the next room.

Nobody answered. He must have ended up in another world…and NiGHTS was locked up and possibly worse than that! It had all been because he wasn't strong enough…

Wait…the narrator!

"Mr. Narrator, please, help!"

…no voice called back. Nobody seemed to be there. He was alone. Will fell to his knees and began to cry. "NiGHTS…I'm so sorry…" He whispered.

Then a voice DID call out…but it was a girl's…

"Um…do you…live here?"

Will looked around. Where was it coming from?

"You're the first human being I'VE seen in this world!"

Will shook his head. "No, I…I was sent here from another world! Something awful has happened to my friend and it's all my fault! I've got to hurry and get back to my own world!" Will begged.

"Your…friend?" The girlish voice asked.

"Yes…he's waiting for me to help him! If I could just find the door…I would be able to get back!"

And that's when he heard it, closer…and turned around. There was a girl with blond hair, blue eyes and a pink dress with a teal skirt. "The door? I know where that is! That's how **I** got here!" She said.

"Really? Then please, take me there! I don't want to be a pain, but I don't know anything about this place and-" Will began nervously.

"Don't worry, I'll take you there!" The girl said. "This way, follow me!"

…

…

…

…the girl led Will outside of the strange crystalline building and into a field of flowers that were right in front of…TA DA! A Nightopian door!

"It's the door! Oh, thank you!" Will said gratefully. "Now I can get back to my world!"

"No problem!" The girl said politely. "I hope your friend is alright!"

Will immediately felt nervous and rubbed the top of his head. "Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot to introduce myself! I'm Will." He said, holding out his hand.

"Hello Will. I'm Helen!" Helen said cheerfully, shaking his hand. "Be careful out there, okay?" She added.

"I will! Thanks again, Helen!" Will said before he turned around and headed into the door…

**Author's Note:**

**Yes, I WILL do Helen's story after Will's, for those who were wondering about it. Stay tuned!**


	8. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

Will found himself returned to the Dream Gate, and a happy-looking Owl beamed at him as he approached.

"Oh, Will! My dear boy, you're alright!"

"Yes, I'm fine. A-a girl named Helen helped me."

Owl blinked. "Helen? Oh yes, I know her, she's a fine girl, very sweet. She helped you find your way back? Well, I DO hate to rush things, but NiGHTS is in a spot of bother right now…you'd best go get him out of that cage he's in!"

_Yeah, and quickly! He's literally bouncing off the walls!_

"How come you couldn't hear me before, Mr. Narrator?" Will asked, looking up at the sky.

_Well, I'm afraid that I couldn't track you once Reala sent you through that dark portal. Also, I was afraid to leave Lost Park and lose sight of NiGHTS…I don't think you would ACTUALLY die here in the Night Dimension, but NIGHTS, he…try not to worry so much about yourself, Will! You have the Red Ideya, it's a symbol of your own strength and conviction! You're powerful, Will…you just haven't realized it yet. But trust me Will, you **will**! Eh-heh-heh-ha-ha-ha! _

"I…I think I understand. But…what would have happened if Reala had tried to hurt me?" Will asked.

_He wanted your Red Ideya. Owl told me everything, usually…_

The narrator was pensive for a few moments. Then he spoke.

_Wizeman sends out low-level Nightmarens to steal your Ideya, but only a general can take the RED Ideya from you, and even THAT takes a lot of effort. **Usually** you have to give it up of your own free will…but you wouldn't do THAT, right?_

Will shook his head. "Absolutely not! Well, I'd better go help NiGHTS!"

_He's waiting for you in Lost Park. I'll do whatever I can to try and guide you to where the Bird Riders are! Good luck!_

…

…

…

…NiGHTS was bored. Very bored. And when people like him got bored, they did things.

"Down at an English fair, one evening I was there…when I heard a showman shouting underneath the flare! I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts! There they are, standing in a row! Big ones, tall ones, some as big as your head!" He sang out, bobbing his head back and forth.

Then Will climbed up, finishing the stanza. "Give 'em a twist, a flick of the wrist, that's what the showman said! I didn't know you knew that song!"

"Oh, there are some things that EVERYONE knows and likes, like everyone just loves ice cream! It's the single greatest thing in the world!"

_And is it true that everyone runs faster with a knife?_

"I don't knooow!" NiGHTS remarked, putting a finger to his lip and thinking for a moment. "I've never used a knife…"

"Well, we'd better go find the keys that will take down this cage." Will said.

"Right, let's dualize!" NiGHTS said, holding up his hand.

Will and NiGHTS recombined, then flew up and out of the top of the cage, breaking a hole outward. "Right then, where's the first blighter?" NiGHTS wondered out loud.

Then they heard a panicked caw of a bird rider and turned around. Will got a much better look at the amusement park now: there were many rides, including a very large roller coaster, but what caught his attention at the moment were the large, hovering green television screens. They were showing scenes of…of NiGHTS! And Will could see the faint outline of a boy and a girl dualized with the jester, one having blue hair the other having pink.

"Elliot and Claris!" NiGHTS realized. "Interesting…how'd they record that? Ooh, Will, look!" The jester pointed beyond one screen at the source of the panicked squawking, a bird rider had gotten itself hit into the water by a passing screen. It was now floundering around, desperately trying to get out. NiGHTS flew over and held out his hand.

"Tell ya what…hand over your key and I'll help you up!" He said.

The bird rider, in the interest of not drowning, nodded eagerly and tossed the key up. Owl swung out of the sky and grabbed it while NiGHTS helped the Bird Rider out of the water. It immediately took off, desperate not to get paralooped.

"One down! Now where's the next little…"

"Look out!" Owl shouted.

NiGHTS turned around just in time to see another Bird Rider soaring at him, talons outstretched. Luckily NiGHTS was quicker, he looped up and aroooound the Nightmaren, sending it flying through the air with a good paraloop. It exploded into twinkle dust upon hitting a TV screen and another key went flying through the air. NiGHTS swung down and grabbed it.

"Two down! Now where's that last little bugger?" NiGHTS remarked. He then reached up into the air and paralooped around some Blue Chips for good measure before he called out again. "Come out, come out, wherever you are!"

_Over by the trains!_

The narrator's shout got their attention. They turned their heads in the direction of a mini-train track, which was blocked by a huge boulder. The lone remaining bird rider squawked and soared through the air, past the boulder. NiGHTS, however, chased after him, shattering the boulder with a Drill Dash.

Owl, who had been passing underneath, let out little gasps of surprise as chunks of rock flew past him. "The sky is falling, the sky is falling!" He cried out, diving for safety.

Meanwhile, NiGHTS was still chasing after the bird rider, who had ducked into a small tunnel that led underground. However before NiGHTS could dive in, a series of fireworks shot up all around from little cannons below, blinding them temporarily.

"ARGH!" The jester and Will cried out, hovering back. When the glare had faded, the bird rider was gone. "Now how are we supposed to find him?"

Luckily, that was when the Narrator came in.

_Package for NiGHTS, Will and Owl, SPECIAL DELIVERY!_

A well-placed boulder fell from off a nearby mountain top and rolled into the tunnel. A few moments later Will and NiGHTS heard a cry and turned to the left, seeing the bird rider run screaming out of another tunnel, the boulder rushing towards him and-

SQUISH.

"Ewww!" Will said.

"That was rather gross." The loveable jester remarked.

The key was the only thing that wasn't a pancake. Picking it up, Will and NiGHTS returned to the cage with Owl, and each shoved the a key into the lock. BOOM! The cage exploded and dissolved away…though not before NiGHTS grabbed a chunk of it.

"MMM!" He said, taking a very large bite with a mouth that stretched out wide. "Lemon candy!"

"Ooh, it tastes great!" Will agreed, sucking on his own piece.

"Ooh, how I wish I had a tongue." Owl said sadly, hanging his head.

_Nice one, guys, but-uh oh…did you just get a chill? Because __I__ sure did!_

NiGHTS stiffened up. "Something's coming…quick, Will, re-dualize with me!"

The two slapped their hands together just as the world turned dark…when they reawoke, they were floating, dualized, in an abyss of dark, swirling black, purple and red. And then an animalistic cackle broke through the silence…with the owner revealing itself.

It was a chameleon without any legs, only a curled-up tail at the bottom. He was wearing a very flashy-looking purple/pink Magician's vest with a large pink bow-tie, and…no wait, now it was purple, and the vest was blue, no wait, it was now yellow…the clothes kept changing color, as did the magician's top hat on the top of the chameleon's head and the cape it wore. The strange magician was carrying a staff with a gem at the top, and a deck of cards in his other taloned paws.

"Who are you?" NiGHTS inquired.

"Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! I am Chamelan, disciple of Jackle!" The chameleon crowed. Then his eyes glared balefully at the jester. "And YOU…are going to suffer before you die, as punishment for what you did to my teacher!"

He held up his cards and flung them. They all scattered around before they landed in a long row around Will and NiGHTS, distracting them. When the two dualized forms looked up…the strange magician was gone.

"You'll never find me now…" He whispered in the dark abyss. "You'll suffer for all eternity in here for what you did to my teacher…"

"I didn't WANT to fight Jackle!" NiGHTS protested, and for a moment Will heard something in NiGHTS voice that he hadn't heard before…genuine regret, a sense of hurt. "I didn't…have a choice…"

"How interesting. And how untrue. You could always take the Red Ideya from the boy and give it Boss Wizeman…" The strange magician said, shrugging. "That's one choice."

"That's NOT…A CHOICE…AT ALL!" NiGHTS exclaimed. He'd narrowed in on the source of the voice and did the only thing he could think of…paralooped around in the abyss. Instantly the abyss was cleared in that circular spot, exposing a large jungle area with thick, leafy undergrowth and tall trees…and there was a shimmering area before them that didn't match the scenery. NiGHTS paralooped around it…and voila, the magician was exposed and sent flying through the sky.

"Don't you think this is over! I'll be baaaack!" He shouted.

"And I'll be waiting for a better challenge!" NiGHTS and Will both said.


	9. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER EIGHT**

A return trip to the Dream Gate meant an ecstatic-looking Owl. "Oh, well DONE, Will! Well done indeed! You and NiGHTS defeated him so quickly!"

"Well, he did give himself away with all that talking!" NiGHTS laughed, spinning around in the air.

"NiGHTS…tell me, uh…" Will began. NiGHTS looked down at him.

"Yes, Will?"

"…er, you said Wizeman was like your dad…and that he was rather bad. Is there something else I should know about him?"

NiGHTS put his finger to his lip. "Hmm…well, you see, Wizeman has a lot of power, but what he really wants to do is take over the human world! He's a stuffy old fart, really…"

"And he tried to do it once, didn't he?" Will asked.

"Yes, but luckily Elliot, Claris and I stopped him! Now enough of that old hat…let's go back to the park and have some fun!" NiGHTS laughed.

…

…

…

…upon returning to Lost Park, something caught the combined human and jester's attention: an enormous beanstalk tree that twirled up into the heavens, with many roots climbing up it. It looked very strong and sturdy. It had incredibly green-looking leaves.

"WOW! I didn't realize it before, but this tree looks pretty incredible!"

Owl flapped down to their level, smiling. "Ah, yes…a tree that reaches up to the heavens must be a sign of your heart's resolve."

Will turned his head. "Huh? What do you mean?" He asked.

Owl pointed his head downward. "Look closely. Small lakes and what little greenery that exist in this world are all centered around this tree. Clearly, it's the source of all life for this dried-up desert world…and I do hope it remains strong and healthy!"

Will nodded. "Yeah…so do I!"

Then NiGHTS pointed upward. "Hey! Some kind of seed is falling from the tree!" He said.

"Really? Where?"

Then there was a "wooooo" sound that rippled through the air. Will looked up and saw the seed…it looked strange. "Woah…what is this? It sure is strange for a-"

"Wait, that's NOT a seed!" NiGHTS exclaimed, hovering back quickly, eyes narrowing.

"What is it then?" Will asked, looking at the spiked red ball that was floating downward.

"It's a BOMB!" Owl shouted, rushing back. The bomb fell down, hitting the lake and sinking in, exploding a moment later. "Oh my, oh my!" Owl groaned as they looked upward and saw very unfamiliar and unwanted faces. "The Nightmarens are trying to destroy the lake and the tree along with it! Oh, this is awful, simply awful!"

NiGHTS put his hand over Owl's beak, smiling. "Don't you worry, old bird! Will and I will take care of these clowns, you just stay right here!"

He then let go, clenching his fist. "Come on, Will…let's go! Time to show you a neat little trick of mine!"

"O-okay…" Will said as Owl puffed himself up in indignation.

Diving into the water, NiGHTS's body morphed and changed, limbs folding away, body turning a shade of grey…now he had become a _dolphin_! He wore a golden mask over his snout and still wore a vest, but now it had stretched to fit his body.

"Let's do this!" NiGHTS shouted out, shooting forward. The bombs floated in the water, beeping slowly. "If we dash through them, we can disarm them!" NiGHTS told Will.

"Right…here we go!" Will said, spinning their dolphin body rapidly. It shot through the ring of bombs before them, cutting through the cables. The bombs stopped beeping and lay there, silent.

"Look, more are coming down over there!" NiGHTS shouted, seeing a cluster of bombs fall near one of the roots of the tree. They quickly swam through the waters, diving underneath a large U-shaped rock formation and dashing through the cables, disarming more of them. Owl, meanwhile, was desperately trying to peck at the Nightmarens, trying to halt them.

"THIEVES! ROUGES! VAGABONDS! Take that and that and that!" He shouted as he pecked.

The Nightmarens saw that NiGHTS and the kid were cutting through the bomb cables like a hot knife through butter. They growled.

"This ain't working!"

"We oughta try a different-"

Then the narrator decided to help once again, sending a very large rock hurtling from the sky. It sloped down the back of a camel-shaped mountain range and shot up…up…slamming into the Nightmarens and making them explode in a sparkle of dust.

Unfortunately, the bombs were not all gone yet. NiGHTS and Will raced through the water, spinning around and cutting through another bomb cluster. They stopped for a second to catch their breath, then resumed the trip through the water, splashing against a current.

They noticed one bomb had been attached to a large root…the cable was wrapped tightly around it. Dolphin NiGHTS swam over and looked down, concerned.

"We're going to have to chew through! Hope you've got the stomach for it, Will!" He remarked.

He then bit down with his sharp teeth and began chewing as fast as he could. The bomb began to beep…and beep…and beep.

"Come on, come on!" Will and NiGHTS growled. Owl, above them, saw the danger and gasped.

"Oh no! Oh please, please let them do this!" He begged.

Beep-beep-beep-beep-beep-beep-beep-beep…

"Come on! COME ON!"

Beep-beep-beep-beep-beep-beep-beep-beep!

"Almost…there!"

**Beep-beep-beep-beep-beep-beep-beep-beep!**

SNAP!

_**Beep-beep-beeeoooooop…**_

The bomb disarmed…and a few moments later it dissolved into nothingness.

"You DID it, NiGHTS!" Will shouted happily as they soared up out of the water, spinning through the air in their dolphin form.

"WE did it, Will…" The jester told him softly. "WE did it."


	10. Chapter 9

**CHAPTER NINE**

Owl was back at the Dream Gate with Will and NiGHTS. Owl said that he wanted to speak to Will about something important, and NiGHTS, not interested in hearing a boring lecture from Owl, decided he would go and head back to the park.

The purple jester was soaring through the air when they saw, floating by a rainbow-colored balloon, of all things…

"Well, well! What's Octopaw doing here?" NiGHTS mused. "Oh well. Let's have a little fun then!" He laughed to himself, chasing after Octopaw.

Meanwhile, Owl had sat down on the fountain with Will and was looking at him. He cleaned his glasses, then spoke up.

"Will, I think it's time I told you about Elliot and Claris…you probably want to know what they went through, I wager!"

Will nodded. "Oh yes, I'd like to know what they were like! How did they get here? Where were they from?"

Then a familiar star soared down from the sky, and the teen narrator hopped down from it to join them by the empty fountain. "Ooh, let me hear too! Anything you're saying could be helpful."

Owl nodded. "Right. Well, I'll first start by answering the question of where they came from! They were both children from the town of Twin Seeds over in…" Owl put a feather to his beak. "Oh, I believe it was…Japan, yes, that was the name of the country. And Elliot had gotten here due to a problem with sports…much like you, Will…"

…

…

…

…the kid had blue hair that spiked up in front, and dark blue eyes. He wore baggy green pants with dark blue sneakers and had on a light blue t-shirt beneath the dark blue sweatshirt he was wearing. His teammate tossed him the basketball after an amazing jump and it soared through the air…he caught it with one hand and smiled down at it…

Then he felt the presence of somebody closeby and turned to his right, just in time to see a blond-haired bully named Roger grab the ball out of his hands, dribble it down the court with HIS buddies and slam-dunk it straight through the hoop. Roger and his buddies laughed as they tossed the ball back at Elliot, who just let it hit him in the chest. He didn't even look up…he'd been served.

"Come back when you're ready to REALLY play, wusses!" Roger's voice laughed.

Then the ball fell down…down…and sank into the ground as everything became dark. Elliot looked up and saw Roger and his gang laughing at him…

Then their forms changed and twisted, turning into dark, fanged phantoms who laughed before they reached out for him with sharp claws. Frightened, Elliot ran for his life down a hallway of twisted light and shadow as screams filled his ears, none of which were his own but seemed instead to stem form the walls…

Then he saw it…a beautiful, shining green light at the end of the tunnel. Arms outstretched, he soared through it…

And landed in a beautiful, lush valley of green. There were pieces of land that had blue, floating windmills passing by, and mountains with snowy white caps in the distance.

Then the wind passed through a nearby tree, and he heard a twinkling. He turned his head and saw a strange creature floating down the valley towards…a girl…

Eyes widening, Elliot raced over to her. She appeared to be unconscious. He knelt down by her side and examined her. She was quite pretty, with a small ponytail at the top of her head and pinkish/red hair, with an orange shirt and a red pair of shorts, with dark brown sneakers. Elliot gently lifted her sleeping form up and placed her underneath a tree.

A few moments after he did that though, he felt…a calling…he had to go. He looked down and saw that he could see through his hand…

Yes, he understood. It was time to go. Somebody was calling out to him. He turned away and slowly vanished into the air…

As for the girl…well…how had SHE arrived?

It had started with the fact that she, Claris, was practicing for an audition. She was quite eager to prove that she could be a good singer, she had been practicing at her favorite park all day beneath her usual "Singing Tree", and was ready at last…

Then everything went dark, and before she knew it, the spotlight was being shone on her. She was on top of the stage, microphone before her. The fat, piggish critic and his crazy-haired co-critic were looking at her. The piggish man snorted while the crazy-haired one tapped a pencil against the desk they were all sitting at impatiently, holding his screenplay "Twin Dreams" in one hand. The director, who was wearing a white cap and sunglasses, had fallen asleep and was lying back in his chair.

Not one to be brought down, Claris stepped forward to try and sing…but then all three adults changed before her eyes into frightful beasts that leered at her cruelly before rushing at her. She screamed and tore down a hallway filled with screaming colors and cries of pain…

Then she saw it. Light. Salvation. She rushed through it…

And awoke to find herself beneath a tree in a beautiful valley, with crisp air filling her lungs. She turned and saw a boy with blue hair looking down at her, smiling, before he turned and vanished away. She held out a hand to try and stop him "WAIT!" she called out…

Too late. He was gone. She sighed. Who had he been?

Then she heard rustling in the grass nearby. She turned around and saw the strangest creatures she'd ever seen…little people in clown-like outfits with haloes on their heads and pink, butterfly-like wings. They floated around her as she looked up into the light, and she could swear she heard a voice calling out…

…

…

…

…"Wow! That's an amazing story!" Will said.

"Tell us more, tell us more!" The narrator asked.

"Oh, I will, I will." Owl said. "But first, how about a little break? Let's go to the park…I think I might have seen a snack stand there, and I simply cannot HELP myself when it comes to popcorn, ooh-hoo-hoo!" he laughed, belly inflating up and down as he did so.


	11. Chapter 10

**CHAPTER TEN**

"In a dream I could see, you are not far away. Anytime, anyplace, I can see your face! You are that special one that I've been waiting for, and I hope you're looking for  
someone like me!" The narrator sang out as he played on a guitar for some Nightopians at the Dream Gate, who eagerly clapped their hands.

"More, more!" They called out.

The teen blushed. "Aw, shucks…alright, alright! I can't resist such a spirited request!...I hope NiGHTS, Will and Owl will be alright without me, but I need to take a little break from narrating, I'm tired of thinking, I just need to DO something for a little while!"

…

…

…

…as it were, Will was very, very, happy at the moment. Why?

"Will, check it out! Look at that thing go!" NiGHTS told the dualized Will as they stood over the object of Will's attention.

"**WOAH**! A roller coaster!" Will said happily, clapping his hands together, eyes sparkling. "Oh, I LOVE these things! Every year, during summer holiday, my dad takes me to the amusement park!"

Then his spirits lowered slightly. "But…not this year." He said softly.

NiGHTS wasn't stupid. "What's wrong, Will?" He asked, turning to the boy with a look of genuine concern on his face.

Will hesitated before he finally spoke up. "Oh nothing…it's just…well, my dad's away on a business trip. And…and Owl said that this entire place is made from my heart…"

"Right." The jester agreed, nodding.

"So…that the reason this place feels so lonely is because of MY heart! But…if that's true…" Will looked up resolutely. "That means I have to become stronger…and that way, everyone else in Nightopia can become stronger too!"

NiGHTS let out a happy little chuckle. "Heh-ha-ha! That's right, Will! Good on you!"

Then Owl came puffing along, looking very, VERY out of breath. "Hoo! Hoo! Hoo! Did…a…roller coaster…come by…come by just now?"

"Yep!" NiGHTS said. "There were a bunch of Nightopians on it and everything. Why, did you want a ride, Owl?" NiGHTS asked cheekily.

"They-they were going on the roller, on the roller coaster? Oh dear, oh dear!" Owl gasped. "A-a party of Nightmarens have collapsed part of a nearby cliff, and-and the rubble is blocking the tracks! And…and when the roller coaster hits it…OHHH!" he shuddered.

NiGHTS nodded and put his hand on top of Owl, holding him in place and keeping him from convulsing with fear. "Okay, okay, don't panic! Just leave this to us! Will, you want to see more of my power?"

"Yes, I would!" Will said.

"Well you like roller coasters too, don't you? Well then…you'll LOVE this! Let's goooo!"

NiGHTS twirled around rapidly and landed straight on the tracks…and his entire body changed. His jester hat antennae spread out wide and fat as it went back slightly, and the red gem on his chest changed to appear on his forehead. His legs and feet molded together to form rails, and Will realized what was going on…they were now coaster for a roller coaster!

"Here we gooooo!" They both yelled out as they went sailing down the tracks, down a large incline. They then passed over a lake by way of a bridge as fireworks lit up the sky and Owl could be heard hooting for them to hurry, hurry!

Pouring on the speed, they rose up a hill and saw a bunch of green, shimmering circles in front of them. "Those look like…yes, they're boosters!" NiGHTS said. "They'll increase our speed…we just need to streeeetch!"

They lifted their coaster body up into the air on their long "legs" and passed through the green rings. A rush of wind filled them, and soon they were going even faster, towards a loop-the-loop. The Nightopians were hollering in the distance, shouting "faster, faster" as they raced onward, the poor little guys had no idea what was about to happen to them.

Coaster NiGHTS then traveled up a tall mountain to the spindliest bridge area Will had ever seen. The railings clattered and clanged beneath them, but they didn't fall. They soon saw another batch of booster rings and Coaster NiGHTS raised himself up and then tilted all…the way…to the left, going right through the rings!

BOOM! They were now ROARING down the tracks, heading for a the end of the railing and the Nightopians were not that far ahead, on a set of tracks leading into a tunnel…but it would require a big jump.

"We can DO this, Will!" NiGHTS said. "Count of three!"

"One!"

"Two!"

"THREE!" They both shouted, leaping up as high as they could. They whizzed through the air, then landed on the rails and slid into the tunnel, just behind the Nightopians. "Hold on, guys!" NiGHTS called out. Passing by stalagmites, Coaster NiGHTS whizzed right up to the Nightopian cart, and just before they exited the tunnel, Coaster NiGHTS shot out his tongue and grabbed the car, and both coaster and car came to a halt.

NiGHTS bounded up and down in coaster form, hollering and going "yippee" along with Will as the Nightopians climbed out, just noticing the rubble that had fallen across the tracks that they had been only a few minutes from hitting. They all breathed a sigh of relief…it was over.

"Did I miss anything?" The teenage narrator asked, walking over a hill with some root beer in his hand.


	12. Chapter 11

**CHAPTER ELEVEN**

NiGHTS and Will were relaxing at the park's snack stand with Owl and the narrator. The narrator was happily pouring them all drinks, giving Owl a big wide glass to sip some Orange Soda from, NiGHTS a Shirley Temple with a purple bendy straw and Will a color-changing straw for his Root Beer Float. He himself had a big Blue Raspberry/Wild Cherry Mixed Icee in his hands and was sipping it through a long red straw.

SLURRRRRP!

"So you were at the Dream Gate?" Will asked him.

"Yes, I was." The narrator said. "You see, in order to narrate, I have to think something in my head, and it has to sound just right…"

And at that moment a bird flew overhead, no, a gracious swan, soaring in the sky.

"See, like that…that took some effort. It can get to be a real strain. So I need to take a break now and then…" The narrator explained.

"What could have caused the rock slide?" Will asked.

"I'd wager that a Second-Level Nightmaren General did it." Owl remarked, finishing up his Orange Soda. "And it had to be the work of somebody who was hiding close by…somebody who we couldn't see. We'll have to be more on guard…"

NiGHTS suddenly stiffened up. "Speaking of "on-guard"…I think we need to get on guard right now!"

"You mean…" Will asked.

They heard sinister chuckling…familiar chuckling.

"So you finally decided to show up!" NiGHTS proclaimed, looking courageous.

"I'm off!" The narrator said, leaping through the air and soaring into the sky. "Good luck!"

"Quick, Will…let's dualize and take this creep down!" NiGHTS said, nodding. "I have a feeling I know JUST who's behind all of this…" He and NiGHTS dualized and shot up into the air.

"Hey…where is he?"

Then the air directly behind the two combined friends shimmered and twisted, becoming darker…and a small little vacuum opened up in midair, sucking them in with a cry…

…

…

…

…Chamelan cackled and twirled his staff in the air as his tongue shot out and stuck out at them. Then he reached behind his back. "And now, for my next trick! Pick a card, any-what the?"

He had reached back and had drawn no cards. He blinked a few times, then felt a bulging in his hat. He reached up and poked his hat with his fancy stick, and then it flew off, sending the packed cards within flying out at them. "Hee-hee-hee-hee-hee! Now, for my next trick, I will disappear…and then…_**so-will-you**_, hee-hee-hee-hee-hee!"

Chamelan sneered before he vanished into the swirling dark abyss, as NiGHTS and Will were left alone. But his voice called out one last time before he completely vanished.

"I'm not going to give away where I am…let the silence permeate your mind and drive you to insanity! Let it make you beg for death, the same death you gave my teacher!" Chamelan howled.

"I didn't WANT to!" NiGHTS shouted back. "I didn't want to kill Jackle…I didn't want to hurt ANYONE, that sort of thing is wrong…" He said softly.

"NiGHTS, look out!" Will said, taking control and moving them away from one of the floating cards. It had flipped around to reveal a "Suicide King"…which was now slicing at them with his swords, growling!

"I was never good at cards…" NiGHTS remarked. "Come on, he's got to be somewhere in this spatial distortion!"

Suddenly the cards flurried around them like a tornado, whipping them around and around. Chamelan's laughed echoed through the abyss as they saw flashing daggers and knives and swords reach out from the cards, trying to slice them.

Curling upwards and breaking free, NiGHTS paralooped through the air, and blasted a portion of the distortion aside…

_Hey, that rhymes!  
_

"Glad to hear YOUR voice, narrator! Where's Chamelan hiding?!" Will shouted.

_Can't see him anywhere! There's too much freaky abyss interfering with my sight…try and whittle it down if you-MIND YOUR RIGHT!  
_

Will and NiGHTS dove back just in time as an axe-wielding card tried to slam down on them. It began cursing visibly.

"Hey, watch your mouth around the boy!" NiGHTS said, putting his hands on his hips.

Then, suddenly a club bashed NiGHTS over the head and the combined friends floundered in the abyss, desperately trying to stay afloat. NiGHTS and Will felt a pounding sensation rush through their head as the evil chameleon magician cackled.

"That's just a TASTE of what's in store for you! Suffer as my teacher did! Now for my next trick…I will pull a RAZOR out of my hat!"

A sharp razor suddenly shot out, slicing through the distortion. Will gasped and flew upwards, looping…

And that's when it happened. Chamelan snarled at them. "You can't see me, but I can sure see you!" And ANOTHER razor shout out at them, just missing them…and it had been aimed at a certain angle…

"Over there!" Will thought inside his head. Following the angle at which it had been thrown, NiGHTS and Will soared through the air, paralooping around a particular space in the abyss…and BAM, there was Chamelan, exposed! He had time to gasp before they grabbed him with a quick paraloop and sent him flying through the sky.

"Noooo! Teacher, I can't fail yoooouuu…" He howled mournfully before he disappeared in a twinkle.

NiGHTS sighed as he hovered in the air with Will. "I don't like having to fight for no good reason! It's just a waste of time…and I didn't want to fight Jackle!"

"NiGHTS…who was Jackle?" Will asked.

NiGHTS bit his lip…then spoke.

"Well, Elliot, Claris and I were at the Soft Museuem. It's a region of Nightopia that was used to house artwork that the Dreamers think up! The Nightopians contribute too, they made sculptures of me there, since I'm such a favorite of theirs…and it was in a special room that I had to fight for my life…"

…

…

…

…the room was painted orange/red, and was littered with various toys of different sizes. If not for the grotesque, serpentine Jack-In-The-Box to the left corner of the room and the guillotine to the right, it would have looked like a very wonderful, pleasant little playroom. There were gigantic blocks in the center with letters and numbers on them, and the ceiling was showing beautiful stars, with large mirrors at the top corners of the room.

There, floating in midair, was a very strange Nightmaren. He wore a jester's cap like NiGHTS, only it was taller and curved only slightly down, with a single large blue stripe and red stripe on each end. He had an orange/yellow pair of boots to match his cap and a large cape with red and yellow ends who's main body also matched the color of his boots and cap, but…well, as far as a "body" went, he HAD none! There was only darkness where his head should have been, a big huge grin and blue eyes that gazed out, twinkling unnaturally.

" Hello, hello, welcome to my humble home! Can I get you some cookies? Milk? No, wait, I have an idea…" Jackle's grin grew wider. "How about we play a game of Seek and Destroy!"

"I don't suppose you'd let us go if I asked you nicely." NiGHTS asked, aggravated.

Jackle began cackling almost like a hyena. "Heh-heh-ha-ha-haaaa! Why would I wanna do THAT? You just got here…" His eyes glinted as his voice turned soft and dangerous. "And I wanna PLAY!"

He held up his gloved hands, revealing sharp, dark orange/yellow claws. Then the body-less Nightmaren tossed a HUGE card at them and the dualized threesome dove to the side as it embedded in the wall, revealing razor-sharp edges.

"Stand still, NiGHTS! Let me turn you into a wall decoration!" Jackle cackled as he threw another card.

"I'll pass, thanks!" NiGHTS shouted as he ducked.

Jackle tried to throw another card, but suddenly NiGHTS looped around him and grabbed the card from his hands.

"HEY!" Jackle growled. "Gimme back my card, you rotten traitor!" He hissed.

"You mean this SHINY card?" NiGHTS asked, getting an idea.

Jackle blinked stupidly. "Ooh…OOH…it IS shiny…" He commented.

"Does Jacky WANT the shiny card?" NiGHTS asked, waving it over his head.

"Jackle wants the shiny card very much…" Jackle whispered, reaching for the card.

"FETCH!" NiGHTS said, tossing it upwards. Jackle rushed up to grab it, then slammed into the ceiling, missing the card, which fell to the ground.

NiGHTS laughed and laughed as he drifted back. "Aw, man, you always were a sucker for practical jokes, one way or another! I could never forget that!"

Jackle lifted himself free from the ceiling, pointing at the purple jester. "I knew you'd come back, NiGHTS!" Jackle whispered softly. "I KNEW you would…"

"Jackle, come on, stop this!" NiGHTS shouted out as he soared through the air. Jackle whizzed towards him, slashing NiGHTS across the chest with his claws and sending him downward, crashing into the ground. Luckily, the floor was soft and carpeted…unluckily, the force of the blow knocked Elliot and Claris free from NiGHTS, un-dualizing them. NiGHTS turned around to see Jackle advancing towards the children, his grin getting wide.

"Don't hurt us, please." Claris begged.

"Stay back, Claris, I'll knock him down!" Elliot said bravely.

Jackle laughed a little. "Heh-heh-haaa! Oh don't worry! I'm not going to kill you. I'll keep you as my toys, I'm always looking for new ones! Now NiGHTS…" His blue eyes became slits. "Ooh, don't speak to me about NiGHTS…_he's_ going to die."

"Don't you dare touch him, you big bully!" Claris shouted, jumping up at swinging her fist at Jackle…

But he easily caught it with his clawed, gloved hand and grinned down at her. She gasped…this close to him she realized Jackle was BIG, much bigger than she, NiGHTS or Elliot were. "You shouldn't have done that." Jackle said softly. "Boss Wizeman told us we're not SUPPOSED to kill or really hurt dreamers so we can torture them in nightmares in the future…but if you keep making this difficult, I'm gonna have to-"

"Your boss is a rotten old JERK!" Claris shouted, smacking Jackle across the face. He blinked a few times, then reached up for her neck, digging his claws in slightly and making her gasp in pain.

"Guess I'll only get to keep ONE toy…I can't let you get away with calling Boss Wizeman that, although I like your spunk. Don't worry though, this won't hurt." He assured her in a soothing fashion, like a brother telling a sister with a scraped knee that he was going to get their mom and she would make it ALLLL better.

Suddenly he felt a tug…he'd been grabbed by the very thing he was nicknamed for, his cape's mantle! He was tugged hard and dropped Claris as NiGHTS looped around him, sending him flying into the wall. He groaned and slid downwards, the launched himself back at NiGHTS, grabbing for another razor-edged card. "**NIIIIGHTS**!" He howled.

He swung the card…and NiGHTS ducked down just in time, grabbing him by the boot and throwing him up into the ceiling. The cape went flying off, and Jackle's "invisible" body went soaring through the air…and when he hit the blocks, there was a loud KRA-KRACK.

The jester, the boy and the girl walked over as "The Mantle's" body slid down the block, panting heavily, spitting out some blood. He gasped in pain as NiGHTS approached, and then his voice came out.

"I…knew…you'd come back…Reala said you wouldn't, but I knew…knew you would!" He said softly in an almost child-like voice.

"Why?" NiGHTS asked.

"Because…we're friends…right?" Jackle asked, holding up his clawed hand.

A pained, tortured expression rippled across NiGHTS's face. He held Jackle's hand and knelt down by him, nodding eagerly. "Yes, of course…we're friends…"

"They said you wouldn't, but you came back…you…came…back…for…me…" Jackle gasped out happily. And then his eyelids slowly drooped shut, and he didn't speak again as his body slowly vanished and a brilliant white light shone up from where he'd been…

…

…

…

…Will found himself holding onto a blue orb that shone gently in the white abyss around him. He knew what it was, too. "This is the Ideya of Intelligence and Knowledge!" Will realized to himself. "I…I can feel it filling my mind!"

It resonated with him, and he felt familiar warmth enter him…

_Time to head on back, Will! They're all waiting for you!_

**Author's Note: **

**Jackle is one of my personal favorites of the Nights realm. Look for extras at the end of this fanfic featuring the lovably crazy dude! :)**


	13. Chapter 12

**CHAPTER TWELVE**

Wizeman was not happy. Not happy at all.

"All of my plans have been foiled…" He hissed to himself. Two of his hands, eyes glowing blue lowered down slightly at Reala, who was on bended knee. "My worthless creation…I ought to-"

"Master Wizeman, forgive me!" Reala said, bowing his head deeply before he lifted it back up. "NiGHTS has joined forces with a Visitor who possesses the Red Ideya of Courage and-"

"Be SILENT, Reala!" Wizeman growled dangerously, his hands going within mere inches of Reala, threatening to crush him.

"Yes, my master. Forgive me." Reala said, bowing his head again.

The hands withdrew. Wizeman had a nasty idea forming in his head. "Where that useless Chamelan failed…Cerberus will succeed." He mused.

Reala's head shot up, fear filling him. "C-Cerberus?! The Hellhound?" He whispered harshly.

"You are already aware, I know, that they have quite a…temper…should you wish to avoid becoming their prey, I might advise _you_ to take care as well, Reala!" Wizeman said, a sadistically amused tone entering his voice.

Reala nodded. "I will take control of Cerberus, and bring NiGHTS to you!" He swore, just before he rose up and left Wizeman's throne room. His master's cruel laughter echoed in his ears…

…

…

…

…back at the Dream Gate, Owl was hugging Will. "Oh, well DONE, Will! Well DONE!" He said happily. "You two were amazing!"

"That was quite the brainstorm, Will!" NiGHTS said. "Perhaps not all your Intelligence was taken from you in the beginning after all!"

"Oh, I suppose so…" Will admitted. "How many Ideya are left?"

"Well, only the Green and Yellow Ideya." Owl said. "And there's another new door that's just opened up to a place called "Delight City"…it's sure to be a lot of fun for you!" The bird said happily.

"Well then…let's get going!" NiGHTS said, zooming through the door with a "I'll see you there!"

Will looked at the fountain, which was slowly filling up. "How did all of that water…"

"I believe it was because of the Blue Chips you collected." Owl told him. "You've collected quite a lot, haven't you? I'm sure once you've gotten them all, something special will happen...oh look!"

There was another big blue treasure chest by the fountain. Will walked over to it and opened it up, revealing a special-looking golden mask that had wings at the top and a big red jewel in the center. It was rather tall.

"I believe that is the "Rocket Persona". Owl told Will. "It will allow NiGHTS to become a rocker! Impressive, isn't it?" He said, as Will felt the Persona merge with him the way Blue Chips and the Dolphin Persona had. "Now then, let's go and join that loveable little scamp!"

…

…

…

…Delight City was, in fact, a beautiful and tall city amongst a lush, grassy green field with trees that had crisp leaves and many gardens all around. It had sparkling lights running up and down the buildings, large lookout towers all around…it was bigger than any city park Will had ever been to, and it looked like a gigantic, lovely playground.

"Wow! This place looks really fun, Owl!" Will said, walking forward. He looked down at noticed there were puzzle piece designs etched into the grass. Cool beans!

"Ah, yes. The Green Ideya is a symbol of Growth and Wisdom. The lush life that surrounds us blended together with this bright new city is a symbol of not only the growth of natural life, but of man's wisdom in creating new and amazing things…you've come quite far, Will. It's only natural that your heart would create such a lively world."

Then Will heard a familiar sound of a flute. "That sound…it's NiGHTS!" Will exclaimed. He saw NiGHTS floating down to a sandbox, playing on his invisible flute. "Let's go and-"

Suddenly Owl stopped him from going over and pulled him into a bush far off in the distance. "No, wait…I heard someone ELSE approaching…stay back, Will!"

NiGHTS continued to play on his flute, oblivious to the world…that is, until a familiar, rotten old jester appeared, hovering from the sky.

"Ah, NiGHTS. Are you all alone today?" Reala inquired.

NiGHTS groaned and turned his head slightly. "Oh, what do **you** want, Reala? Leave me alone!" He complained, trying to get back to flute-playing.

"Hmph. Don't brush me off so quickly, NiGHTS." Reala said, outstretching a hand. "It's not very nice of you to be so uncouth to your brother and fellow Nightmaren."

Will's eyes went wide upon hearing that. "What did he say? He's…he's a Nightmaren?" He turned to Owl. "That's not true!...is it, Owl?"

Owl turned away, looking nervous. "Er…I'm afraid it IS true…NiGHTS is indeed a Nightmaren." He said softly.

"No way…" Will said. "He…he can't be!"

NiGHTS had glared angrily at Reala. "Don't play the "family" card with me, Reala. You tried to kill me once before because I was helping out Elliot and Claris…you're a HORRIBLE brother."

He turned away, hands digging slightly into his knees. Reala "harrumphed" and crossed his arms. "Fine. Be that way. It's not like I came by to chat anyhow…"

NiGHTS folded his arms and hovered up in the air, still looking away. Reala continued. "Master Wizeman ordered me to take you to him and I WILL do so…though I must warn you, he is quite…" A nervous look came over Reala's face for a moment. "Displeased…with your defiant behavior. And since I have no wish to face his wrath myself…you WILL come with me…" He pointed at NiGHTS. "Even if it is by force!"

NiGHTS rose up a little higher and turned around, putting his fists on his hips, looking defiant as ever. "If THAT'S a threat, then bring it on! You and me, one on one!" He said.

Instantly Reala dove at him, accepting the challenge. The two whizzed up into the air, swirling around each other over and over. Will watched in amazement as they soared up and down and through the air before finally taking positions far away from each other.

Reala held up his arms. "I will deliver your head to Master Wizeman myself!" He clenched his fists, and a beam of dark red energy shot into the sky, creating a strange, floating symbol that resembled a triangle with three circles at each of the tips. The circles shout out strange, floating orbs of light purple that twinkled in the sky. The two jesters soared at different orbs, paralooping around them and grabbing them as they sent them flying at each other.

Paralooping caused the orbs to turn a murky green and brown, and when they collided, it set off a small explosion of light. Reala growled angrily and soared for another, only to be stopped in midair by a quick Drill Dash on NiGHTS's behalf. He was caught off guard as NiGHTS paralooped around another orb and sent it flying right into him.

The blast sent the evil jester flying back through the air with a grunt. He then dove for another orb as NiGHTS soared through the air. Reala sent his orb whizzing by NiGHTS, just barely missing him.

Will took all of this in, watching as NiGHTS ducked and swerved to avoid Reala's attacks. A few moments later Reala dove for another ball…

But this time NiGHTS had reached a ball as well, and the explosive orb went flying through the air, hitting Reala's ball before he could get rid of it, dealing TWICE the damage.

Now Reala seemed very angry. He whizzed rapidly through the air, paralooping around another ball and aiming it at NiGHTS, who was soaring at him. He sent it flying…

But NiGHTS apparently still had some Will leftover in him. Taking a leaf out of the human's playbook, he KICKED it right back…and it sailed into Reala, knocking him out of the sky and falling to the ground.

NiGHTS floated down to his brother, who was clutching his knee and trying to hold himself up with his other arm.

"Ergh! E-Enough. Well…done, NiGHTS. I…I yield." He said, falling to both knees and trying to prop himself up as best he could.

A look of genuine concern came over NiGHTS. "Hey, are you alright?" He asked softly, reaching out.

Suddenly Reala turned his head around quickly, a nasty grin on his face. He snapped his fingers…and a cage rose up around his brother, trapping the purple jester.

"What the?!"

Reala stood up from the ground, holding onto his left arm and chuckling evilly. "Heh-heh-heh. Oh my brother, you are so GULLIBLE!" He laughed. "Did you really think that I could lose to the likes of you?" He sneered. "_Don't make me laugh_."

NiGHTS was furious. "REALA, this was **supposed** to be a fair fight!" He shouted down through the cage as Reala soared up to eye level.

_And I'm pretty sure Reala is supposed to be a GUY, but he dresses like a lady! Ha-ha-ha!_

Reala blinked. "Who said THAT? Oh well…don't make such a scene, my brother!" Reala chuckled. "Cerberus is on his way to see you!"

For the first time ever, Will saw raw fear enter NiGHTS's expression. "C-Cerberus?!" The jester whispered, holding one hand slightly over his mouth, hovering backwards.

"CERBERUS?" Owl gasped.

"Who's Cerberus?" Will wanted to know, although he had a feeling he sort of didn't. Luckily…or maybe not so luckily…his question was answered a few moments later.

"Oh, you know Cerberus, that mad old dog who will devour anything in sight?" Reala asked calmly. "And really, while I'd LOVE to stick around to see that…" He clenched his arm. "You DID hurt me a bit more than I expected." He whispered. "So, unless you're looking to be gobbled up for dinner, I'd stay right there in that cage if I was you!"

Laughing, Reala took off through the air, leaving NiGHTS alone in the cage.

"NiGHTS…" Will said, looking down at the ground. "How can you be a Nightmaren? I thought you were different…"

"Visitor, it is only natural you be disturbed by the discovery that NiGHTS is a Nightmaren and not a free spirit of the Night Dimension like you had no doubt hoped…" Owl said softly. "And if you feel you cannot trust him anymore, I suppose it…can't be helped." He sighed.

Will bit his lip.

"But…I should think that, by now, you'd know NiGHTS's heart…certainly more so than his "brother"."

"Owl?" Will asked. "What should I do?"

"It is up to you to decide whom you wish to trust and what you need to do." Owl said. "Only you."

Will called up to the Heavens. "Mr. Narrator? What should I do?"

…_Will, I'm…I'm sorry, but the truth is, the stronger that __**you**__ get, the weaker __**I**__ become…I can't make this decision for you. I can't really help you as much as I want to…I wish I could help you make this decision for you, but I…I really can't. It's totally your choice. You have to listen to your own heart._

Will looked at NiGHTS. Then at Owl. Then up at the sky.

And then made his choice.


	14. Chapter 13

**CHAPTER THIRTEEN**

NiGHTS sat inside of the cage, looking morose. He felt so…alone.

It had once been wonderful to feel alive. It had been so nice before. Everyone living peacefully. Then Wiseman had gotten greedy and insisted that all of the realm of Dreams belonged to him.

He didn't understand why the others had gone along with Wiseman. It made no sense to him.

Although…perhaps it made some sense with Reala. Reala…Reals…he'd always wanted to be strong, to be good at what he did. Now he really was.

**NO!**

He couldn't think about the past. It would make him want to cry, and then he'd never be able to stop. He had to continue to look forward to the future, to believe that things would work out…

But Will…if Will found out he was a Nightmaren, he'd be heartbroken. NiGHTS didn't want to lose another friend, and-

Suddenly he heard a clinking noise. A very familiar clinking noise. He looked down and saw…

"WILL!" He shouted. "You've got to run, you don't want to get caught!"

"Aw, come on! We're friends, right?" Will said, climbing up into the cage. "No matter what you are, you're still my friend…so let's go!" He rose up to face NiGHTS and held up one hand.

"Alrighty then!" NiGHTS said, a smile appearing on his face. Will knew...and he didn't care. He truly WAS a good friend.

The jester raised his hand to Will, and two became one…

…

…

…

…"WOOOHOOOO!" Will shouted as he and NiGHTS's combined form soared through the air. They were on the playground, going up a slide and paralooping around blue spheres to reach a jungle gym at the top. "Oh, I LOVE playgrounds!" Will said as they sailed through a group of rings and Will felt a rush fill him from head to toe.

"It's so sunny and balmy out!" NiGHTS remarked. "And look at the clouds!"

"That one looks like a duck…"

"That one looks like a dragon. Speaking of which, I can't wait to get my next persona, you'll LOVE it, Will!"

"Ooh, that one looks like a big purple…beehive?"

NiGHTS stopped them in mid-air. Buzzing could be heard from the top of the jungle gym as they eye the rounded, bulging beehive. "It's NOT an ordinary beehive. Those are Nightmaren pests. Their stings are nasty."

"How can we deal with them?" Will asked. He noticed several "Beez" were picking on the Nightopians, chasing after them and stinging their little heads.

"Their hive." NiGHTS suggested. "You're good at soccer, aren't you?" A grin split his face.

The Beez heard a whistle from behind. "Hey!"

They turned around. Will used all of his strength and kicked the hive. It sailed into them and they all went flying through the air, turning into purple dust as the hive exploded into sparks. The Nightopians cheered at this.

"Hey, look Will!" NiGHTS flew up to a looong pole and twirled around on it. "Woo-woo! Oh, I could spend weeks here!" He laughed.

"I wish my dad were here with me…he and I would have a lot of fun!" Will admitted.

NiGHTS flew up to the top of a tree that was just near a building made up of playing blocks. He sat down, looking concerned. "You really think highly of your dad." He said.

"I just want him to be proud of me." Will said quietly, rubbing his neck.

NiGHTS was quiet for a few moments, then he spoke. "Will…I think if your father knew how much you've done here…he'd be VERY proud."

Will looked up. "You think so?"

"I know so." NiGHTS said.

"KRRAAA! KRAAA!"

NiGHTS turned his head to see three birds, complete with riders, chasing towards them. He grinned. "Time to have some more fun, Will! Let's do this!"

…

…

…

…Will sent the last bird flying into the sandpit and took the key from him, inserting it into the cage, which broke apart into chunks before vanishing. Then he and NiGHTS sat down in the sandbox with the Nightopians and Owl to begin building sandcastles.

"Oh, this is fun." Will said. "Look!" He showed off his work. He'd used a few shells and some blocks to make a gigantic mall. "Not bad, huh?"

"What do you think of this?" NiGHTS asked, showing off a sand-waterfall he'd made. Will giggled.

"It's very-ha-ha-ha!" He pointed behind NiGHTS, over at Owl, who had foolishly dozen off in the sandbox…near some very mischievous Nightopians. They'd buried him in the sand. Owl huffed and puffed as he tugged himself out, looking very miffed.

"I SAY! Why…the cheek! You little rapscallions!"

_Oh dear…Will…NiGHTS…Owl…something's coming, something…big…bad…be careful…_

They all perked their heads up just in time to hear the warning as a dark portal ripped the sky open above them. All of sudden it became dark around them, the lights turning from yellow to red, everything spinning…

NiGHTS and Will found themselves in a dark abyss with purple, teethy "thorns" rising from the ground as mist seeped everywhere. They were inside a dark ball cage of sorts…and a harvest moon glowed behind them.

"I'm scared." Will admitted.

"AWOOOO!"

"Now I'M scared." NiGHTS said.

They turned to see a strange dog with almost dark bronze fur. He had solid red eyes and a long ponytail made of fire. His fangs showed as he grinned at them, revealing a HUGE, rounded collar of gold that was covered in spikes. It was attached to a long chain and at the end of it was a golden ball…

Unfortunately there was another dog just like the first one who had purple eyes and a ponytail of ice instead of fire attached to the ball as well. There were spikes running down the top of their heads and they had long, thin legs with hooves at the bottom…they were like some demonic dog crossed with a horse. Red flames rose from the body of the first, while blue rose from the second, and bats raced across the sky on their leathery wings.

"I take it that's Cerberus…" Will whispered.

"Yes…but don't worry Will. We can take him." NiGHTS said.

Cerberus turned both of their heads to look at NiGHTS and Will and sniffed. A grin split their faces. "YOU'RE…DUALIZED…YOU HAVE A HUMAN WITH YOU…_MMM_…"

"You're not going to TOUCH him!" NiGHTS said, rushing forward. He grabbed the ball both of the dogs were attached to and kicked it. Both the dogs went flying back…and naturally, they snapped together, colliding hard. They fell into the mist, groaning in pain, seeming to disappear…

Then it was like they rose back up like sharks from the sea, snapping at NiGHTS and Will. "STAND STILL SO I CAN EAT YOU!" The two heads shouted. NiGHTS ducked underneath one of their heads while grabbing the chain and tossing it around the other head.

"WHAT THE?!"

NiGHTS tugged hard. The two heads were strapped together. The dogs growled angrily. "YOU'LL REGRET THIS YOU-OH NO, OH NO!"

NiGHTS kicked the ball the chain was attached to again. This time the dogs collided with a spike, and sank into the abyss with a loud howl of pain.

"They're almost finished, Will!" NiGHTS said.

"SO ARE **YOU!**"

This time the hellhound rose far faster than it had before, grabbing NiGHTS and shaking him, then stomping on him over and over. Will felt pain rack him as the two dogs stood there, sneering down at NiGHTS and Will's combined form.

"YOU FIRST?" The red one asked.

"OH NO, PLEASE, I INSIST." The second laughed.

Then they looked back down. NiGHTS was gone. "WHAT THE?!" Both shouted.

A whistle. They turned around. Will put his foot on top of the golden ball and smiled cheekily. "Hey, next time, remember this: it's not smart to gloat over your dinner, especially if you're not sure it's really dead."

He kicked it hard. The two dogs went flying past him with a final howl…

BA-BAM! With a golden explosion that sent confetti flying everywhere, they vanished. Will and NiGHTS undualzed and slapped each other high-five.

"That's what I call teamwork!" NiGHTS laughed.

**Author's Apology:**

**Sorry it's taken so long to get a chapter up. I've got a lot on my plate right now, writing-wise…**


	15. Chapter 14

**CHAPTER FOURTEEN**

A return to Delight City meant lots of free time awaited our two heroes. Owl was sitting on a park bench whilst Nightopians were playing a jump-rope game, even though Will had NO idea what they were saying.

"You've become brave, visitor!" Owl said happily. "I'm glad you decided to trust NiGHTS."

Also on the park bench was the narrator, Nick. He looked rather morose. Neither NiGHTS nor Will could understand WHY, there was a huge Icee in front of him.

"Is something wrong?" NiGHTS asked, reaching out to touch the youth's shoulder.

But he was surprised to find his hand went right through the narrator's shoulder. The youth sighed and turned to face the kid, the jester and the bird.

"Will…NiGHTS…Owl…I'm sorry you gotta see me like this. I feel so…exposed." He grumbled.

"What's happening to you?"

"To put it in simple terms…I am slowly fading. As you increase in power, I lose power. Soon I'll have no hold on this world at all. Then I'll just…" He raised his hands and went "poof", demonstrating how he would leave the world.

"You'll…that means you'll die?" Will asked.

"I'm not afraid of death." The narrator said quickly. "I'll just…miss you…all of you. You're really something, you know? It's like I'm a camp counselor and you guys are the kids I'm in charge of looking after. I feel like I know you really well." He sighed and hung his head. "But I have other friends who need my help. When I go from THIS world, I'll be reconnected to the other world that awaits."

"Another world? The Real World?" Owl asked.

"No, but it's a word that has a kinship with yours, NiGHTS." The narrator said cheerfully. "So I'll be sure to tell them all about you when I see them. In the meantime, just enjoy yourselves!" He tried to grab his Icee…but failed. He sighed again. "I'm going to try and focus to drink this Icee…I'll have to center my existence on my MOUTH…you just go have fun!"

Will and NiGHTS redualized and flew off towards a bright section of Delight City that rose up in "steps", with windows that glowed yellow. To their right, glowing elevators of red and yellow raced up and down in distinct patterns. He was about to fly further when…

"Hey…NiGHTS…can I ask you something?" Will began quietly.

"Huh? Oh, of course, Will." NiGHTS said cheerfully. "What is it?"

"Well…I mean…it's nothing major, really…" Will said, lowering his head slightly. "It's just…could we maybe go back to that city with the neon lights?" He asked, pointing to the upper right at the buildings that glowed.

NiGHTS rubbed his chin. "Hmm…why the interest, Will?"

Will took a deep breath as he looked up at the buildings around him. "It's just that…that city at night time…it feels like…that's what the REAL world is like, the world that grownups live in." He stretched out his hand at the building. "And someday, I'll be a grownup, and live in a world just like that…"

He felt a smile pass over his features. "See, it's just like what you see on TV or in the movies!" Then he stopped, feeling hot. "Oh…sorry, you probably wouldn't understand…"

NiGHTS just smiled. "You know what? Let's go! I've been wanting to check out what this part of Nightopia looks like at night…in fact, it should be night in a few-"

Suddenly there were cries coming from in front of them. They looked up just in time to see Nightopians rushing through the air, heading out of the city with looks of fear on their faces. Owl was right behind them, and he flapped up to NiGHTS and Will.

"Ooh, ooh, it's horrible, HORRIBLE!" Owl gasped. "An entire horde of Nightmaren Mothpits are attacking the Neon City area!"

"Wh-WHAT?!" Will shouted.

"They want to use the whole city as a base for their invasion of Nightopia! HOO!" Owl hooted, flapping around and sweating bullets. "Oh what are we to do, what are we to do? There are so many of them!"

"What do you want to do, Will? Sounds like your city's in danger." NiGHTS said, putting his hands on his hips.

"If it's in danger…then I'm going to protect it!" Will said, clenching his fist.

"All right!" NiGHTS said, nodding firmly. "So then, let's make sure those Nightmarens go right back to where they came from!"

…

…

…

…the sky darkened as night began to fall, stars twinkling into existence. And the sight of sparkling green rings caught NiGHTS's eye as he and Will's dualized form drifted around a street corner in the city. The foes looked like gigantic moths of purple, blue and pink…no, now it was red and pink and yellow…

"Mothpit wings are always changing colors." NiGHTS explained. "They have eyes on the back of their-"

"Heads?"

"No, wings." NiGHTS said. "They're blind at the front, funny, isn't it? But…" He smirked. "They're also attracted to bright lights like real moths. They'll flutter around them…"

A couple of Mothpits were circling a big streetlight, humming. NiGHTS and Will nodded, rushing forward. Before the monsters could do anything, NiGHTS paralooped around one, and sent him flying into the other. They exploded, vanishing in a sparkle of purple dust.

Flying upward, NiGHTS and Will discovered there was a very large golden disco ball that was swirling around the top of the city. NiGHTS flew down and circled around it.

"I can sense it…there's a switch in there." He insisted. "I think the city is protecting itself from the Nightmarens by hiding it underneath."

"Well where are the other-"

"Theretheyare, theretheyare!" A dusty-sounding voice called out. NiGHTS and Will turned to see Mothpits flying right at them. Thinking quickly, NiGHTS spun around and around the big ball…

"What are we doing!?" Will asked, frightened. "They're coming closer! There's at least two dozen of-"

"We, Will, are about to bowl a perfect 300." NiGHTS said cheekily.

Will understood and grinned. Just when the monsters were close enough, NiGHTS launched the gigantic disco ball and it struck all of the mothpits, who vanished with a "ohcrap", turning into purple dust.

"We did it!" NiGHTS said. "You're getting really amazing at this, Will!"

The gigantic disco ball opened up…revealing the contents: scared Nightopians!

"So THAT'S what matters to the city…its inhabitants." NiGHTS mused.

"I'm glad." Will said. "That's what matters to me too."

They floated to the top of a building as the stars twinkled above, and un-dualized, lying down on the roof. NiGHTS spoke up.

"Will…is growing up really such a big deal?" He asked.

"Everyone grows old eventually, NiGHTS. At least, humans do." Will explained.

"Well, I remember an old human saying." NiGHTS spoke, smiling up at the stars. "Growing old is mandatory. Growing up is optional."

Will laughed. "Where'd you hear that from?"

"From Chris." NiGHTS said. "I hope he's doing alright. I remember he told me that saying after we beat Gullwing…I have to say, I'm getting rather tired of Nightmarens trying to eat me…"

He let out a yawn. "I think I'll take a nap…"

"I think…aaahhhh…I'll join you." Will said. And the two allowed sleep to overtake them.


	16. Chapter 15

**CHAPTER FIFTEEN**

Will and NiGHTS had re-dualized after taking a nice, long nap. Now they were flying over Delight City's peaceful grassy parks, passing by the largest pair of monkey bars ever conceived in all of existence. And who should they see?

"Look…" NiGHTS pointed forward at a familiar, floating blue octopus with pink spots on his body. His little golden wings flapped back and forth as he tossed a glance at them before calmly drifting off, letting loose a small series of blue rings as he floated away. "It's Octopaw! What's he doing here, I wonder?" the jester mused.

"Well, maybe he's here on vacation!" Will suggested.

"I know you're getting pretty good at flying by now…how about another competition of ring-flying?" NiGHTS asked. "Let's keep up with the little fellow…that is, if you can!" He laughed.

Will nodded. "You've got it!"

"Okay, let's do it then!" NiGHTS said happily as they soared after Octopaw, who led them straight into a HUGE room of lights that cascaded back and forth, all the colors of the rainbow going around and around in a circle. And in the center of the room was a LARGE casino machine that had a big red lever in the center. Looping through the air and through the rings Octopaw launched out, NiGHTS and Will pulled down on the lever…

POOF! A bunch of blue orbs popped into the air in front of them, and NiGHTS absorbed them into his body. His eyes lit up.

"I feel…I feel something big's just happened! Come on, let's finish chasing Octopaw!"

Octopaw, sensing he was about to be caught, quickly spun up like a helicopter to the top of the room, going out a large sunroof and out into the park area. NiGHTS and Will followed after him…

Or they WOULD have. Suddenly Octopaw let loose a mighty FA-WHUMP and shot out an inky blot into the air, blocking their view.

"EW!" Will said.

"Might I suggest a change in diet, Octopaw?" NiGHTS gasped as the two of them managed to soar free of the ink. "Oh, it will take HOURS to get this smell out! Quick, to the fountain!"

…

…

…

…Will found himself falling…falling…falling…and soon landed softly on the grass just outside of the Dream Gate. Getting to his feet he walked down the path…and was rewarded to see the fountain was spraying beautiful, crystal-clear water into the air in a sparkling spray. NiGHTS was jumping in and out of the water like a dolphin, while Owl sat on a tree stump, a VERY good distance away so as to avoid being splashed.

"Come on in, Will!" NiGHTS laughed. "The water's nice and warm!"

Will approached the water, looking down into the fountain's pool…and he saw…

"Oh!" He gasped, stepping back. Then he slowly inched forward and looked at the reflection.

"I see…a boy…" He spoke softly.

"Well, you ARE a boy!" NiGHTS laughed.

"But he's got blue hair…and dark blue eyes…" Will said.

NiGHTS stiffened up. "Wait…that…that's ELLIOT!"

Owl gasped as he flapped over to look into the reflection with NiGHTS and Will as a boy looked up at them, smiling.

"…ELLIOT…" NiGHTS said quietly. He reached out…as did Will. But Will touched the reflection first, and then…

WA-WOOSH!

Will was sucked into the water, vanishing. NiGHTS floated back, eyes filled with shock. But then…somebody popped out of the water, blinking stupidly. He looked around, then turned to NiGHTS.

"What is it, NiGHTS?" The boy asked. His face, his clothes, his body was that of Elliot, yet his voice…that was Will.

"Will, is…that you?" NiGHTS asked, tilting his head to the side, eyes wide with anticipation.

"Yes, it's me, but…I can feel this other boy Elliot too…" Will said, flexing his fingers before him and looking around at his body. "I…I can actually feel his memories!" He added, tapping his head.

NiGHTS was quiet for a few moments as the stars twinkled above their heads. Then he spoke up. "Then do you know what…what happened to him after I left him?"

Will closed his eyes in thought, putting one finger to his lip. Then he re-opened his eyes, 

speaking again. "He and Claris are boyfriend and girlfriend now." Will said, brushing the hair that was not his back. "They're in college and share an apartment in Twin Seeds. They're very happy."

"That's it?" The jester asked, a look of anticipation and disappointment on his face.

"Most of it, yes…" Will said, nodding.

NiGHTS blinked slowly, then turned away, his body shaking slightly. Will blinked a few times at the sight. "…NiGHTS?"

"…I'm…glad…he's…happy." NiGHTS whispered, turning his head back to show the faint traces of tears making their final leg down his cheek. "I guess he doesn't remember…doesn't remember me..." He began to slowly float off, head hung.

"…he does." Will said softly.

NiGHTS turned his head, eyes going wide.

"He does." Will repeated.

"Come on, come on, back in the fountain you go." Owl said. "Change back to normal, there is something I wish to discuss with you, dear visitor, about your world…and ours."

As Will hopped back in, NiGHTS floated up to a nearby tree, looking at the moon.

"…thank you." He whispered to the stars…to his old friend. "Thank you."

…

…

…

…"NiGHTS? Is that you?"

"Elliot? Where are you? I need some help with this!"

"…coming, Claris! Coming…"

Elliot Edwards took one more look back out at the sky, then turned his head away from the window to go to his girlfriend's room to help her move her dresser. He HAD heard him…he KNEW he had…


	17. Chapter 16

**CHAPTER SIXTEEN**

Will and Owl sat down on tree stumps by the forest while NiGHTS flew off into the starry sky.

"Visitor, I must say, I am very pleased with how well you and NiGHTS work together." Owl said. "But I sense you are worrying about him…and about another person as well."

"Yes, I…I wonder what would happen to NiGHTS if-"

Will hesitated, then hung his head and looked to the side.

"…if he were gone." He finally spoke.

Owl blinked a few times in surprise, then smiled. "Oh, visitor, worry not." He said. "Don't you know?"

"Know what?" Will asked, looking up.

"All worlds have a connection." Owl told him gently, raising a feather to demonstrate his point. "Your world is connected to ours by your dreams. And there is another world that is connected to the Dream Dimension, connected by a bond forged by the belief in freedom…the right to dream, the right to live and make the most of it." Owl smiled gently at Will. "This is the world that is the Other Side to one such as myself or NiGHTS, to any that pass on. You need not worry about NiGHTS though…if if he should vanish before your very eyes…" Owl looked up at the stars, then spoke again. "He will always find his way back."

Will was quiet for a few minutes, just looking at the stars along with Owl. Then he spoke up.

"…and what about Helen?" He asked.

"I think you'll be seeing her soon. You and her have a bond, don't you?" Owl asked. "No then, perhaps you'd like to see more of Delight City? There's a beautiful space called the "Boardwalk"…"

"Oh, a boardwalk?" Will asked. "I've always wanted to check one of those out…"

…

…

…

…having re-entered the door to Delight City, Will looked around at the space around him. It was a beautiful boardwalk/fair area, with shining yellow and red neon lights flashing in a row like giant signs above him. A large walkway of dark green chain-linked to a floor of red led to a flashing pillar of red and yellow that shot up into the sky…

And at the base was a girl with blond hair tied into a ponytail, wearing a pink dress with jean shorts…

"Helen?" Will called out in surprise. Was it…it WAS! Will ran over to her. He shook her lightly. "Helen, HELEN!" He whispered quickly.

Helen slowly opened her blue eyes, blinking slowly. "You're…Will, aren't you?" She asked, rubbing her eyes.

"Helen, it's good to see you again!" Will said happily. "I had been thinking about you…what happened? Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm…I'm fine." Helen said quietly, sadly, looking around. "But…where are we?" She took in the pulsing lights and looked up at the tower that soared above her.

"This is MY dream world!" Will said with a touch of pride. "This time you wandered into MY world! Neat, huh?"

Helen blinked slowly, then her eyes widened. "Ah! That reddish burst of light from before…that must have been what sent me here!" She tried to stand up, but then fell right back onto her knees, crying out in pain.

"Are you hurt?" Will asked, immediately leaning down to help her up. "Can you stand up?"

"No, I'm…I'm alright, really!" Helen insisted shyly. "I think I must have just twisted my ankle, that's all." She explained.

"Well, take it easy then, okay? We'd better head back to the door." Will said, helping Helen stand back up. "It's time I repaid the favor and helped YOU head back to your world!"

"Thank you, Will." Helen said happily, nodding in appreciation. And together they walked down the path, towards a long strip of bridge that was suspended over a dark abyss. As they approached it, they saw the bridge was made of swirling, bright pastel lights.

"Ooh…pretty!" Helen said, reaching out and making it ring like a bell with her touch.

Will led her off the bridge and around a corner and across another strip of boardwalk to a large platform with a glowing ring around it's square shape. The two stepped inside and drifted across the abyss towards the other end.

"What world were you in when you ended up here?" Will asked.

"I was in a large forest." Helen said to Will. "I was a little bit surprised at how ENORMOUS it all was. Then…" She frowned, and looked away. "I don't…really want to talk about it now."

"Oh…alright. You don't have to." Will said as they got off the platform and headed down another stretch of boardwalk. They crossed over another bridge, then headed up a flight of stairs, with Will stuffing some Blue Drops into his pocket. As they turned to the right, they saw that the next bridge was out…although there was a switch directly across…but it would mean they'd have to jump down.

"I don't think I can jump down with my foot…" Helen apologized. "I'll just wait here."

"Alright." Will said, nodding as he hopped down the incline before him and headed across. He then dropped down another ledge, then hopped over a few gaps, reaching a strange series of green loops that were leading upwards…an elevator, he KNEW it was an elevator. After all, it was his dream world. He held a Blue Drop up, and looked over at a large yellow button off in the distance before he aimed and threw it…

BA-BOP! It hit the switch and he went flying up, landing on a platform above. Crossing over it, he saw the bridge was open…

And he heard a scream. He ran over to see Helen up against the wall across from the bridge with a purple electric eel coming towards her, half it's face all smiles. It's black eyes glinted as it hovered through the air towards her, snickering.

Will did the only thing he could think of…he threw another Blue Drop. It bopped the eel on the head and sent it spiraling off. Quickly he ran across the bridge and helped Helen across. The two of them then ran as quickly as Helen's twisted ankle allowed her to over to a floating platform.

"That was close…" Will gasped.

"What was that…that thing?" Helen asked.

"That was a Sparkeel." Will said…although he had not know it's name before. The platform docked at another boardwalk area and they continued forward. "Don't worry, they're easy to knock out, and I have plenty of Blue Drops to knock them out with!"

"Good, because I don't think that moth thing over there wants to give us a hug!" Helen whimpered, pointing forward a Mothpit that was flying in the air. It was facing them headfirst…

"Wait, it can't see us. Mothpits have their eyes on the BACK, on their wings." Will said. "If we're quiet…" They began to tiptoe across the boardwalk, hoping that it would ignore them, or not notice them, or even fly awa-

"Heyheywhatchadoin, whatchadoin'?" The neon moth growled, suddenly turning around.

"Go AWAY!" Will shouted, jumping in the air and throwing a Blue Drop. It struck the evil moth, who went flying back, slamming into one of the buildings. Will quickly led Helen across the boardwalk it had been guarding, suddenly noticing an egg…

"Ooh, what's in here?" Helen asked, picking it up. Suddenly it broke, revealing a Nightopian, who hummed happily and hugged her. "Aw, thank you!" Helen said.

"I see another bridge switch up ahead." Will said. "It's just like before…I'll have to leave you behind. Do you think you can keep an eye on the Nightopian for a moment?" He asked.

"Oh of course!" Helen said. "I'll sing you a song." She told the Nightopian. "Would you like that?"

"Oh-oh!" It said, nodding it's little head as Will took off.

"Alright. Hmm…" Helen thought to herself. "What should I…I know!" She took a breath

_Yesterday…all my troubles seemed so faaaar away…_

_Now it looks as though they're here to stay,_

_Oh I belieeeeve…in yesterday…_

"YEOOOOWWW!" Will howled as a hive of Beez chased him down, trying to keep him away from the switch.

_Suddenly…I'm not half the man I used to be!_

_There's a shadow hanging ooover me…_

_Oh yesterday…came suddenly!_

"OW-OW-OW!" Will had jumped and thrown a Blue Drop at the switch to set it off, but had missed, and had actually slipped and fallen on his knee. He hopped up and down, rubbing it in, pain shooting through it.

_Why'd…she…have to go, I don't know, she would't-_

Helen looked up. "Oh, you're done! Alright little guy, let's get going!" She and the Nightopian crossed over the bridge, over to Will, who was scratching his body like mad thanks to the bee stings…

…

…

…

…the rest of the trip was, for the most part, uneventful…for Helen, anyhow. She sang songs to the Nightopian while Will jumped, grabbed at switches and crossed over floating, translucent platforms of light. Eventually they reached a large red-carpeted area that had many Nightopian eggs. Putting the Nightopian down, Helen watched as it hopped over to the eggs and hatched 

them out. Up before them was a large green area like a patchwork quilt…the same area that Will had first landed in when he'd entered Delight City.

"There it is…there's the door!" Will said, pointing forward.

"Oh Will, thank you so much!" Helen said happily, bowing with a little curtsy. Then she looked away, sighing.

"What's the matter Helen? Is something wrong?" Will asked, concerned.

"Well…I dunno." Helen said quietly. "Somebody who…I thought was my friend…a GOOD friend. But…" She felt tears well up in her eyes. "I guess we weren't such good friends after all. So…I…I…"

"You need to believe in your friends, Helen!" Will said, stepping forward and taking her hand. "You said you were "good friends", right? Well you've got to believe in them! If you do believe in them, then your trust is sure to be proven. Maybe that's why you and I ran into each other again!" Will continued.

Helen rubbed her nose with one arm, then thought about it. "Well…thank you…I…" She took a deep breath. "I'll TRY to keep that trust. Because we ARE friends!" She said, her tone becoming happier.

"Yeah!" Will said, nodding.

Helen smiled and walked towards the door…then turned around again. "Thank you so much, Will. Do you think…we'll ever see each other again?"

"I'm sure we will!" Will said quickly, blushing slightly. "If you trust that we will!"

Helen's smile got wider. "You're right." She said, nodding. "I'm SURE we will!"

"See you later, Helen!" Will said, waving goodbye as Helen walked through the door.

"Okay! See you!" Helen said, waving back. Will watched her walk off…then looked down, ashamed.

"Oh. "You've got to believe in your friends", huh? Yeah, RIGHT…" He moaned. "I don't even trust my friends when I'm playing soccer…" He thought sadly. "And…and I doubed NiGHTS…" He slowly turned around, heading back into the city. "Some friend I am…huh?" He muttered.

**Author's Note:**

**Oh Will...don't cry! Quick, review or you'll make Will cry! **


	18. Chapter 17

**CHAPTER SEVENTEEN**

Will wasn't in much of a good mood. So he just sat on a park bench, allowing himself to drift into sleep, hoping, perhaps, a little nap would cheer him up. But things didn't work out like that. Instead…

"Hey, Will!"

Will's head shot up as he heard NiGHTS call out to him. He looked up and saw NiGHTS floating down. "A Nightopian wanted to see you." He said. "The little guy said you helped him out before and he trusts you."

"Really?" Will asked, looking confused. "I'm-I'm not that important…am I?"

"He says he trusts you, and that "nice girl with the ponytail"." NiGHTS went on, tilting his capped head to the side.

"Oh, he means Helen…"

NiGHTS blinked at the name, as if almost recognizing it. Then he just shrugged. "Anyhow, let's get going!" He told Will.

The purple jester swooped down and raised his hand. Will stood up and placed his own against Night's hand…

WA-WOOOSH! They were dualized! Together they flew off through the air, over the patchwork grass towards a Nightopian who was hopping up and down at the top of some monkey bars.

"What is it that I can help you with?" Will asked.

"Strange thing, strange thing!" The Nightopian said. Will blinked.

"How did…" Then he got it. "Oh, I'm understanding through YOU, right NiGHTS?"

"Yep!" NiGHTS said, nodding.

"That way, strange thing's that way!" The little cutie said, pointing with one finger. NiGHTS and Will nodded, then flew off in the direction the Nightopian had pointed in. It wasn't long before they saw a group of Nightopians all crowded around a strange building.

"NiGHTS, look! The Nightopians are all gathered together! I wonder what they're up to?"

"Want to take a look?" NiGHTS asked. "That Nightopian seemed worried…"

But upon approaching the thing, it didn't LOOK dangerous. The Nightopians there didn't seem to think it was dangerous either. It was odd that it was strapped down in chains, but…

"Wwhat's this? It…is this a house?" NiGHTS asked.

Will shook his head. "It looks…more like a shack…or maybe…" He rubbed his head. "Maybe a dog's kennel."

NiGHT'S eyes went wide as saucers. "A dog's kennel?!"

"Wait…you don't think…" Will whispered softly.

The two suddenly gasped and Will's spectral form looked right at NiGHTS, who looked right back. Then they both said the same word that had just ripped through their heads: "CERBERUS!"

Instantly a dark chill filled the air, oozing out from the kennel. The Nightopians fled in fear as growling issued from the kennel, which shook violently…

And then NiGHTS and Will were sucked inside.

…

…

…

…the two of them awoke just in time to see the fiery and icy hellhounds looking at them, a smirk on their faces.

"HAVE A NICE NAP?!" The first asked.

"YOU'RE NOT THE ONLY ONE TO JOIN US FOR LUNCH!" The second laughed. Their voices sounded even more twisted and cruel than before.

They turned their heads to look at the round orb that kept them chained and howled as the moon glowed a dullish bronze. The dark spikes of the oozing purple arena that NiGHTS and Will had landed in grew higher as the hellhounds howled, and then…

Bats whizzed over the orb as it churned out another collar, from which a yellow hellhound appeared, resembling the others in form but made from sparkling electricity. It let out crackling noises as it howled and licked it's lips at the sight of NiGHTS and Will. "NO BETTER WAY TO WAKE UP THEN TO A NICE BREAKFAST…"

"HA! YOU CAN HAVE THE ASHES!" The fiery hellhound laughed. And that was all the warning they gave, because a moment later, all three of them galloped at the dualized human and Nightmaren rebel.

Instantly our heroes dove underneath the first charging devil of a dog, then looped around the legs of the other. The third Cerberus, the electrical beast, dove at them…colliding hard with the icy one. The fiery one leapt at Will and NiGHTS, trying to snap it's jaws around them, but missed, and Will and NiGHTS grabbed ahold of the chain orb that held the dogs together, knocking it far and sending all of the dogs flying into each other. They sank down…down…down into the abyss.

"Careful Will…" NiGHTS said a few moments later, hearing low growling. "They're coming back…"

"GOTCHA!" The icy one snarled, jumping up from behind a spire, the fiery head coming right behind. NiGHTS rose up into the air, then looped down and grabbed the chain, diving down and wrapping it around the legs of the red one. The two dogs were forcibly collided once again, and NiGHTS sent them flying back down into the purply abyss…

The third time though…the two dogs went WILD. They howled and spat and snarled, their eyes burning with dark intent, rushing at NiGHTS and Will, who flew as fast as they could towards a spire.

"Faster, faster!" Will shouted in a panic.

"YOU CAN'T ESCAPE US!" The first snarled. The two dogs leapt up…

BA-BAM! Their chain hit the spire, and our heroes quickly raced towards the orb…

PA-WOOSH! The third dog popped out from it, eyes sparkling. "GOTCHA." It snarled, snapping it's jaws. NiGHTS barely dodged in time, then rose up as the dog jumped up at him, trying to grab him.

Suddenly the chain snapped back. Eyes going wide, the dog soared back into the ball, vanishing. Seeing their chance, Will and NiGHTS raced down and paralooped the ball just as the other two dogs woke up…and they woke up just in time to get knocked into the nearest spire. In a mighty golden flash of light, Cerberus the Hellhound exploded and all that was left was the chain that had bound him, which fell all around Will and NiGHTS in links.

"Phew." NiGHTS said, letting a sigh of relief out. "That reminded me of my fight with Gillwing…too close for comfort!"

"Gillwing?" Will asked.

"Oh, you see…" NiGHTS began. "Gillwing was originally a pet we had. It had grown from a tadpole and Reala had a soft spot for it. But then when Wizeman took over…"

…

…

…

…NiGHTS had dualized with Elliot and Claris and now floated in front of a strange area. There was no living thing in sight…no living SENTIENT thing anyhow. There were trees all around, short little stubs with the leafy tops hung over, a blend of green and purple. There were many lily pads and aquatic flowers around sticking out of the pond he was hovering over but…no sign of anybody being-

"RUUUOOOOOOHHHH!!"

So much for that! Out of the sky it came soaring down. The Gillwing itself, red eyes glaring intently at Claris, Elliot and NiGHT'S dualized bodies. It had a long, spiked tail painted in blue and green rings and a frog-like, rounded mouth with sharp teeth. It had dragonish wings of red and spikes with yellow tips jutting out from the bottom half of its body.

"Humans…here." It rasped out. Then it sneered. "Good. Could use extra snack!"

"You won't touch them." NiGHTS said. "I'm not going to LET you, you overgrown tadpole!"

"We can take you!" Claris bragged.

"Yeah, you're not so scary!"

The dragon gave a loud roar right in their faces.

"Well…he's a little scary." Claris admitted sheepishly.

"Please don't let him eat us!" Elliot begged.

"I WON'T." NiGHTS insisted, diving out of the way as the Gillwing's jaws clamped over where he HAD been.

"Stand still!" It growled, snapping at him over and over. NiGHTS flew over it's head and dodged another snap of it's teeth. "Annoying!"

"I know you are, but what am I?" NiGHTS laughed at it.

That was it. Gillwing's tail shot forward and knocked the jester straight into the pond. The impact was so strong and heavy that the threesome un-dualized and NiGHTS was left open to attack.

"NO!" Elliot shouted, being closest to NiGHTS. He tried to grab the jester and pull him away, but the Gillwing's tail had wrapped around NiGHTS and he was now laughing, raising him up to drop him into his maw.

"Ah, dinner." It laughed.

"Big JERK!" Elliot yelled. "You overgrown, slimy, mucus-covered frog-bat reject!"

The Gillwing glared down at Will, holding NiGHTS away. "Shut up! Eat you later!"

"Tadpole! Your momma got squished on the sidewalk!"

"Shut up!" Gillwing yelled more loudly, not noticing NiGHTS had slipped out of his tail.

"Why don't you stick to the pond, froggy!" Elliot yelled, helping Claris onto a lily pad.

Well that did it! Gillwing let loose another roar and dove at them, intent on swallowing them…

That…was it's last mistake. Suddenly he was aware that NiGHTS was directly underneath him. NiGHTS shot him straight up…up…

"NOOOOO-" The dragon howled out one final time.

PA-POW! He exploded into light that fell down in sparkles all around them…

…

…

…

…Will found himself in the peaceful white abyss he had come to recognize as the place where his Ideya was kept. He saw a beautiful shining green orb come sailing down and reached up, catching it in his hands. "The Green Ideya, which stimulates growth of the heart and mind…my biggest dream, my future…all of it I can achieve, because I've grown so much since I first arrived…"

The light bathed over him…he was at peace.

**Author's Note:**

**As you can tell, I'm nearing the end of Will's story. The chapters are going to be longer since there's more to cover. So by all means, review! I enjoy answering reviews in the official "reply" window, so if you are able, feel free to leave a signed review. And by all means, enjoy my story. **


	19. Chapter 18

**CHAPTER EIGHTEEN**

Will floated down to the Dream Gate, and landed softly on his feet. He was surprised by what he saw before him…Owl was nowhere to be seen, but in his place was a beautiful gold and blue treasure chest. Opening it up, Will found a golden mask, slender in form with "horns" and teal "eyes" over the cover. As Will held it in his hands, he heard a voice speak…

"That's…that's the Dragon Persona, it will help the wearer fly against the toughest winds…"

Will looked up to see Owl flying down. "You were AMAZING against Cerberus, my dear boy!" He crowed. "Amazing!"

"I wonder where NiGHTS is…"

"Right here, Will!" NiGHTS called out, appearing from the other side of the flowing fountain, hovering down.

_There's a present I have for you…up…here…_

Sparkling light covered the area just above the door to Delight City, revealing a long staircase with two paths up. And at the very top was a circular stone ring.

"Ooh-hoo-hoo!" Owl called out. "It's been thousands of years since those stone steps appeared here! Mind you, time goes much faster here than it does in YOUR world, but still…"

"I see something at the top!" NiGHTS said. "Race you!"

NiGHTS raced up to the top of the steps, while Will turned to Owl, who sighed. "It seems your ideya is close at hand." He told Will. "I only regret that…I will have to say goodbye to you soon. I've grown very fond of you." He admitted.

Will smiled, then hugged Owl. "I've grown fond of you too." He said gently. The owl blinked, then hugged him back.

"Take care, little visitor." Owl said gently. "No go, go, I'm sure your ideya's at the top of the steps…"

Nodding, Will turned to the stairs. He was about to go up it when he saw somebody at the top…

"Helen?!" He gasped. It WAS her! He began to race up the steps when all of a sudden the earth shook, sending him falling down. He clung to the steps in fear. What was going-

"Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-hah…"

"It's Wizeman!" Will realized, recognizing that horrible laugh anywhere.

"Fools…you think to defy a GOD?" Wizeman asked, amused. Will looked up to see a monstrous form with floating hands come towards the top of the ring. The clawed hands came closer, then stretched their fingers out, the eyes turning light purple. "Now you will know my WRATH." He said coldly, striking out with purple beams that tore the ground around Will and the Dream Gate to pieces, shredding it like paper.

"AAA!" Will screamed, ducking down and avoiding the beams. The chunk of stairs he was on began to float in the air…no, it wasn't floating…the ground below had been obliterated! This was all that was left…

Then he heard it. Helen's cry.

"NIGHTS!"

"Ni-Nights?!" Will gasped in horror. Oh no…NiGHTS had flown to the top of the ring! He tried to pull himself up, but it seemed to be no use. "Nooo!" Will sobbed. "NiGHTS! No, no!"

He heard Wizeman's cruel voice calling to him. There was no remorse in it, only a smug sense of superiority. "And you, visitor…continue your search for your ideya amidst the whirling sea of darkness…FOREVER!"

He heard a terrible cry for help that was quickly silenced, and realized what had happened. "HELEN!" He shouted, finally pulling himself up. He raced up the steps…

Too late he saw Wizeman sinking into a cloud of darkness that oozed up, NiGHTS and Helen in his hand. He screamed out for them as they faded into the abyss. "NIGHTS! HELEN!"

But it was too late…they were gone. Wizeman's laughter echoed through the darkness around him, filling him with despair…

Owl. OWL! The narrator! They HAD to help! Will turned his head, looking back…

There was nothing…

Nothing. Owl was…no, no…NO…_NO_…not Owl too…Owl who had been so warm and alive a moment before…

The narrator! He HAD to help!

"Mr. Narrator! Please!" Will screamed out.

But only silence answered. Then…a faint feeling.

Sorrow filled him. A nameless, alien sorrow. And Will knew why. The narrator was an unseen voice to him most of the time, but if he had eyes, he would have been crying…he could do nothing to help this little boy.

Will sank to his knees, sobbing into his hands. What could he do? Owl…the Narrator…Helen…NiGHTS…all gone.

He couldn't take it. He just-

Then...suddenly a tiny spark lit up within him...and he found himself slowly walking towards the abyss…and jumped off, falling into darkness...

…

…

…

…a feeling slowly but surely overcame him. A warm red glow surrounded him as he began to think, to feel, to understand.

"Dad…I…I finally understand what it means to TRUST people! Friends are people who trust me bac! Dad…I…I want to help save NiGHTS and Helen! So please…give me the strength to do it!" He shouted as the red light swirled around him, and he felt the terrible descent he'd given into slow…and slow…and then…

The light all around him shot out in a beautiful explosion like a nebula being born, with rays of red light shooting out like sunbeams. He heard a beautiful flute…just like NiGHTS's flute…and he rose up, spiraling in the air…

He was flying above Bellbridge, as chunks of building floated around like a giant's stepping stones. Little black clouds hovered around, and the city was sleeping below, it's windows lit up in the night as a harvest moon shone gently. Will could see a glowing blue light before him…

He rushed towards it, spiraling around like he'd felt NiGHTS do so many times, arms out, feeling the rush of the wind, and he grabbed ahold of the blue light and kicked it forward, and it shot through the air, rushing through Blue Drops that whizzed toward him, filling him with hope and energy.

He heard a "Ca-Caw" and saw a Bird Rider flying far ahead…and that meant NiGHTS was nearby! NiGHTS and Helen! He raced after it, flying through a loop of gold rings around an ominous floating building. It was a sad attempt on Wizeman's part to frighten him, to remind him that he was alone, that Bellbridge was HIS…

But Will ignored it and shot around the building just as he saw the blue light from before strike it…and it burst into balloons of a thousand colors. Will gasped…then smiled. He got it, he GOT it…there was nothing to be afraid of anymore! He could DO this!

He raced after the Bird Rider as the balloons flew up into the sky. He sailed through golden rings as fireworks rose up around him, exploding into beautiful green and white light. He felt so free, so confident…he could DO this! He raced forward and grabbed the Bird Rider's Tail, tugging him back.

"Where did they take NiGHTS and Helen!" He demanded.

"D-d-down there, he knows!" The Bird Rider gasped out, pointing downwards through a dark cloud. Will spun the Bird Rider around and around, then let him go like a shot put, and he sailed through the air into another floating building, making it explode into more balloons. Will then sailed downward through the dark cloud, which made him think of Wizeman…

HA! He wasn't going to be afraid of him! He tore the cloud apart by shooting through it, and was rewarded to see the city of Bellbridge all lit up below. He soared downward, ducking underneath an outcropping and then flying across the famous Bellbridge Tower Clock Face, seeing another Bird Rider. He soared after it as he heard the city coming to life around him…

This Bird Rider was a little bit easier to catch…he didn't know the city like Will did. Will ducked and weaved throughout the city, using all of it's secret shortcuts, and managed to surprise the evil Nightmaren by snagging him just above a skyscraper.

"Where are NiGHTS and Helen?!" He demanded to know.

"The girl took off! We don't know where she is!" The Bird Rider insisted. "Wizeman had no use for her, NiGHTS is over there!" He squawked out, pointing to the west. Will tossed him away, soaring through the air in the direction he'd pointed…

Then something frightening happened. All of the city just…STOPPED. All traffic, all motion, all movement…and the lights went out one block at a time. Wizeman's wicked laughter filled the air…

Suddenly Will saw Helen, floating in the air just like he was! He raced towards her, shouting her name. She turned and raced towards him…

But then they both froze, a nameless fear gripping them. Their Red Ideya suddenly rose out from their chests into the sky as Wizeman's laughter grew louder and louder. They fell down into the dark abyss that had once been a city, screaming…

But then they stopped falling and looked at each other. No. NO. They would not lose. Not now! They could do this!

Will understood now. The narrator had said it himself. As he got stronger, the narrator got weaker…so he was strong now. Strong enough…to get back his ideya!

The two let out a cry together, and beautiful golden light surrounded them as their red ideya were forcibly yanked back into their bodies. They soared up into the air as light filled the city once again in a beautiful, sweeping wave, and tiny specks of snow floated all around them. Will turned to Helen.

"I can feel it…this snow." He said. "It's so cool…and soft…I always loved playing in the snow…"

"Then…let's let it be a sign of our friendship." Helen said. "As long as snow falls…" She held out her hand. "It'll remind us of our friendship…and of the great times we've had in the Night Dimension! It's just like the dust that falls down from when NiGHTS paraloops…"

"You're right…it IS just like that." Will said, holding a snowflake in his palm. "Alright…let's go get him back!"

The two of them soared through the air, towards the gigantic clock tower where a large, circular padlock had been erected, blocking all intruders from approaching it. At the front was another key-wielding Bird Rider…

But naturally, he stood no chance against Will and Helen. In an instant, they'd broken open the lock, and it fell to pieces, revealing none other than…

"NiGHTS!" They both shouted.

**Author's Note:**

**By all means, review, folks!**


	20. Chapter 19

**CHAPTER NINETEEN**

The purple-capped jester was tied up in golden chains, his persona mask had been forced upon his head and he hung limply in his bonds. Helen and Will raced towards him, quickly removing the chains from him. Luckily they came apart easily, the two spirits of the children were far stronger than the flimsy golden manacles.

NiGHTS fell to the floor below, groaning. He finally managed to get to his feet. "It's okay…don't worry about me!" He insisted. He rubbed his head, then turned to both of them, a gentle smile appearing on his face. "Thanks you two…"

Then they heard it. The bell was ringing! And a dark cloud of small black dots were creeping towards them through the air, covering the city. NiGHTS got into a fighting position, eyes aglow. "Wizeman is coming…it's time!" He turned to the children. "Get ready!"

The black cloud swept around them and they were whisked through the air…

…

…

…

…they found themselves in a dark purple abyss that slowly churned beneath them…the Dark Sea. Red lights the color of blood danced about in the background like a sick Aurora Borealis of some sort. Stone columns rose up, smooth and sleek, to form a formidable temple. In the center-back region of the temple was a large stone that was almost like something from a Celtic ritual, with golden lamps that held light blue flames, and an insignia like a sun was held up from the top of the rock, with a throne just beneath it.

Will and Helen looked around, a little bit frightened and in awe of the place, but NiGHTS just put his hands on his hips, looking bored. Then they realized why. First, he'd been there many times and two…somebody else was here!

"NiGHTS…I am _dismayed_ at your continued insolence." Wizeman said, rising up from the abyss in all his dark glory. "If only you had obeyed my will and accepted a new soul, at least your body could have lived on." He remarked in a casual tone, acting as though NiGHTS was just…

"_**Shut up, Wizeman**_!" NiGHTS shouted back, taking off his persona. He tossed it to the ground and it bounced against the solidified Dark Sea a few times before coming to a halt. "We're NOT your puppets! No matter what you think, we CAN do things on our own!" He insisted, holding one hand to his heart, and over the red crystal on his chest. "We won't be held back by anyone, because we HAVE free will!"

"I…do have free will!" Will realized out loud, holding his hand over his heart. He understood it now…he didn't have to succeed in soccer just to make his dad happy, his dad would always love him. He could play soccer because he liked it, because it made HIM happy. He wasn't being forced into anything, he didn't have to worry if he won or lost…it would always be alright…he would always be loved.

He turned his head and saw Helen had realized it as well…she smiled at him, and they smiled at NiGHTS, stepping forward and nodding assertively. "You can't have our ideya, you big bully!" Helen said.

"You can't have our world either!" Will said. "Or the Night Dimension! We won't let you control ANYTHING or ANYONE!"

"Yeah, it's not your right!" Helen insisted, clenching her fist.

If he could have, Wizeman the Wicked would have raised an eyebrow. "Fools to the end…" He intoned. "I thought perhaps of wiping your mind like I had done before…"

"What?!" NiGHTS frowned, eyes narrowing. "What are you talking about?"

"Many of the my other generals had been quite reluctant to fight against you when you first rebelled 11 of the Visitor's years ago…they had apparently grown…" Wizeman spat the word out like it was poison. "_FOND_…of you. So I did what had to be done. But that will not be your fate. That which I have created, I can just as easily destroy…" He sneered down at NiGHTS. "So be it…your fate is now sealed, my worthless creation…you and your little FRIENDS…"

_He's…not alone! None of them are!_

Wizeman looked around. "What…who said that?"

"**I** did!"

Floating above their heads, his form shimmering lightly, was the narrator. He turned to look at the others and gave them a two-fingered salute. "You can take him! Wizeman the D-Force Master is going down, and going down HARD!"

"Begone!" Wizeman snapped, lashing out with one hand. But his hand passed through the narrator, who laughed and laughed before vanishing from sight.

"He's right! We can win…let's go!" NiGHTS said, turning around to Helen and Will. He held out both hands. "Helen?"

A nod.

"Will?"

A nod.

The two reached out and took the jester's hand, then used their other hand to take each other's. Green, white, red and blue light swirled around them, filling them with purity, kindness, intelligence and knowledge, growth and wisdom…and above all, courage.

With a twinkling of dust, the two humans were transformed…now TWO NiGHTS stood before Wizeman, getting into a fighting position.

Wizeman's mouth betrayed the emotion of anger. He clenched his fists…then unfurled them, smirking. "I'll show you the power of a GOD." He bragged to them all in his smug tone. "Now…receive my judgment!"

He held up his hands, blowing them back quite some distance…but they soared back at him, not intent on giving up. However it wasn't going to be that easy…Wizeman raised his hands, chanting. "Let mighty storms crush you…"

BA-WHOOM! Their lungs became filled with water, they were going to drown in a dark ocean as tornados raced through the air to whip them into shreds…but then the transformation came naturally, they were now Dolphin NiGHTS, and they easily jumped over the tornados, swimming rapidly through the waters that Wizeman had summoned. Growling, he tried again, summoning another round of tornados. This time one of them clipped Helen, sending her reeling back…

But Will quickly reached out with his tail, and she grabbed ahold with her teeth. Ignoring the stinging pain, he flipped her over him, and they resumed their attack, rushing forward at Wizeman, who sent mighty boulders at them which swirled around in the tornados, threatening to pummel them to a pulp…but the two of them dodged, and rushed at Wizeman.

Wizeman erected a shimmering shield around him, a smirk on his face as the symbol for wind and water floated around his head, along with the symbols for electricity, gravity, fire and the other elements. "You cannot win." He told them. "Such foolishness…"

But then the two of them shone brightly, and the shield collapsed. Bodies glowing, they SLAMMED into Wizeman, sending him flying. His body glowing red for a moment, he growled in anger as he raised his hands again. "Sink into the darkness!" He commanded, as he called forth wind and gravity, trying to crush them.

The winds tore at them…but then they felt another change come over them. Their bodies elongated, their skin becoming dark grey scales, their hands and feet grew claws and talons, and a long tail sprouted from behind. They transformed into a dragon, who's teal eyes gazed intently at Wizeman as it raced through the air, it's serpentine body easily maneuvering through the crushing winds.

"It tickles!" NiGHTS laughed as they raced forward at Wizeman, sending him flying again. Wizeman growled once more, then raised his hands again.

"Now, suffer for me!" He growled, and a blinding flash of blue light blinded them…in an instant a dozen of the evil sorcerer/gods lined up in front of Will, Helen and NiGHTS.

"He's trying to trick us…don't get fooled!" NiGHTS insisted.

"We won't!" The two said right back. They transformed into Rocket NiGHTS, sailing around the fake Wizemans…aiming for the real one, the one who had the symbol of the elements circling around him. Infuriated, Wizeman laughed massive boulders at them, sending the rocks flying through the air to strike at the dualized threesome…but the rocket was quick and dodged them all…then rammed into Wizeman once more, sending him flying again.

"I…WILL…BANISH YOU." Wizeman snarled, losing his composure. He called forth another crushing round of gale winds. "Sink into the darkness and despair!"

"So long, sucker!" Dragon NiGHTS laughed, slamming into him and tossing him through the air. Wizeman's body glowed golden as he let out a horrible howl of denial before…

BA-WOOOOOOOOM! Electricity crackled all around him before he exploded and a blinding flash of white light blinded them all.

…

…

…

…they found themselves un-dualized and back in the throne room. A large, pulsating, glowing purple orb was all that remained of Wizeman. It sizzled with electricity and was silent for a few moments…but then it spoke in a voice that, although ominous, was that of an old man who was slowly fading away and unable to accept it.

"I…am…the creator of Nightmare…" Wizeman rasped out. Then he growled as he began to suck air into the dark orb he was. "Heed…my words. As long as darkness exists within the hearts of humans, then I…" He let out a gasp. "And the nightmares…shall never…be…destroyed!" In an instant, the swirling orb began to dissipate into blinding light that bathed over them…

And everything was silent.

…

…

…

…Will awoke, stretching his arms, looking out his window at the beautiful blue sky. His wallpaper, blue with small white clouds, reflected the skies and the PJs he was wearing. He let out a yawn and turned his head, seeing a familiar, comforting picture…

He reached out and held it in his hands, looking down to see himself and his father, who was giving a big thumbs up to the camera. Will smiled, a sense of confidence filling him. He turned his head and looked at the soccer ball he'd brought into bed. "Dad…I did it!" He thought to himself, placing one hand upon the ball.

Dream though all of it may have been…he'd done it. He'd done the impossible. And now…he could do anything.

Including…win a championship soccer match.

…

…

…

…thousands of screaming fans all packed into one stadium…soccer, or as it was called in Bellbridge, football…was a big deal. And these kids were good…VERY good. People cheered and jumped up and down as confetti fell around them. They watched as the young William Taylor was leading his team in a close match.

The "Sunvan" Team was going up against "Half Moon". It had been a long match, and neither team had been intent on going easy on the other. The score was 2-2, time was running out, the next goal would decide the championship.

Will raced down the field, panting heavily…yet he didn't feel tired. He felt lighter than usual, confidence in every step…

He turned around, waving to his teammate. "Over here!" He shouted. He could DO this!

A nod, and then a mighty kick sent the ball flying towards him. He looked forward and saw he was being guarded by two players at the same time! Not good. He glanced to the left…no good, another teammate was being guarded. Glance to the right…nope, another teammate having his hands full.

Will closed his eyes…

Suddenly he was back at the floating platform, looking into the dark sea as the soccer ball lay before him…but this time it wasn't despair that filled him. A glowing red light covered his hands, filling him with courage, and his eyes shot back open as he returned to the light. He looked up…

And there he was…his father…in a coat. He'd been sweating heavily because he'd raced all the way from the airport to see his son, and now there he was, waving from an entranceway.

Will nodded, and raced forward with the ball. He kicked it under an opposing player's legs, ducked to the right, then raced forward and took ahold of the ball again. Then he did a weave-

around of another player, then leapt into the air with the ball between his feet, tossing it in front of him, up into the air. He leapt higher…

And suddenly he was spiraling not through simple air, but night…a halo glowed around him as he soared up into the moon past Bellbridge bell tower…

THWUMP.

KH-WAAH!

ERRRRR!

"GOAAAAALLLL!"

His father clenched his fist and grinned to himself, then nodded at Will. Yes, YES!

And Will punched the air, nodding right back as his teammates swarmed around him, hugging him, lifting him up onto their shoulders. He had done it…he had won…

All was right in the world.

…

…

…

…Will slowly climbed back into bed. It had been a long day…but a good day. A very good day. He wondered…would he dream about NiGHTS? About Owl? About Helen? If only he could have said goodbye…

Then he heard a voice…

_Will…Will…_

His head shot up. Could it be?

_There's more to the story Will…there's something you've forgotten…but don't worry…I plan to see you through to the end…_

And with that, sleep claimed him, as he fell into bed, still holding onto his soccer ball.

**Author's Note: **

**And so ends Will's story! But now I begin Helen's tale! I hope you enjoy the chapters to come...I know I will. And by all means, please review! **


	21. Chapter 20

**CHAPTER TWENTY**

The sun shone brightly over Bellbridge, the jewel of Europe. Established in the year 1320, it had grown from a small little hamlet to a beautiful and lush metropolis. The city had a large river running through its center and a tall bridge that carried those in need across it. The buildings seemed packed together on either side of the city, yet despite this…as the sun rose higher and higher into the sky, changing it from purple and yellow to the familiar bright blue that people so loved, the people of the Bellbridge began to awake and start their days.

And there, at the center of the city was the fabled Bellbridge Clock Tower. Which our heroine had a good look of…if she'd only turn around. But she wasn't looking at that. She wasn't looking at the beautiful red and pink fields of flowers around the large, white house that was her home, either, with it's grass-green roof and windows and a beautiful, open porch. She wasn't looking at the white gazebo she stood in, about 100 yards from the house, with white flowers lining around it…

She was standing next to her mother, a blond woman with a light white shirt and a green skirt had floral patterns on both items of clothing. She was wearing a tannish/pink jacket, and was, along with her daughter, playing the violin. Her daughter was wearing a pink jacket as well, only it was shinier and more pinkish. She had a blue pair of shorts, green pants and pink shoes. Like her mother, she had beautiful, sparkling blue eyes and blond hair…only she had tied HER hair into a ponytail.

However their duet was cut short. A cell phone rang, also pink. The little girl, Helen Cartwright, picked it up and looked at the message displayed: "Ready 2 go".

"Alright!" Helen exclaimed, putting the violin down and running off with a hasty wave to her mother. "Sorry Mom!" She called out, taking off down the path and heading into town. Her mother held up an arm to try and call her back…but it slowly sank back down. Mrs. Cartwright looked at her daughter's violin, sighing sadly, then turned to look at a calendar that was on the table where Helen had left the violin…there was a date marked…the 24th of May…

"Sigh…" Mrs. Cartwright sat down in a chair, imaging the roar of a cheering crowd…

…

…

…

…the roar of a train filled Helen's ears as she and her friends walked through town, cars beeping and honking. As they made their way down the sidewalk, Helen laughed and chatted with her friends, talking about their respective flavors of ice cream-yes, they had not only gone out on the town to go shopping, but had scored ice cream. And…they'd been unable to decide which flavor was better, so…they'd gotten all of each other's favorites in a waffle cone to decide who's favorite was the tastiest of all. Boy, did they feel sorry for decisive people.

But something suddenly caught Helen's attention as she turned her head. Suddenly she felt a pang of regret as she looked at what was in the window of the store she was facing…a beautiful violin on display against a red background, almost…calling to her.

Helen turned away from the display, looking downward. "I'm sorry, mother…" She whispered sadly. She could imagine her mother's face looking back at her through the window, a sad, disapproving expression on her face…

Then the expression turned foul and evil, a snarling howl that cracked the window of the store, making Helen turn to face it with a look of surprise on her face. Seeing a terrible red glow emenate from her mother's eyes made her gasp…and then the glass exploded, releasing dark clouds into the air. She fell backwards on her butt, dropping her purse and ice cream in shock…

Things turned dark all around her. Her two friends morphed and stretched into dark specters of smoke with red eyes and gaping mouths, rushing at her, trying to envelop her! She raced for her life to escape, but then…she saw a beautiful white light ahead of her, which banished the darkness back. Arms outstretched, she ran towards it, eyes closing, welcoming this light…

…

…

…

…a strange place greeted her. Darkened skies without stars, but a peaceful forest surrounded an empty fountain in the middle of a square with a road leading right up to it, past a large gate. Then…she heard a voice.

"Oh-hoo-hooo! We have a guest! Is this your first time here, mademoiselle?"

The owner of the voice flapped into sight…a brown wl wearing a pair of glasses, a jacket and a big smile upon it's friendly face. He bowed politely. "Please, allow me to explain."

"Oh, uh…go ahead…" Helen said, blinking in surprise.

"You are now standing at the entrance to what _your_ people would call…the World of Dreams!"

"The world of…dreams?" Helen asked, tilting her head to the side slightly in confusion.

"Hoo-hooo!" The owl called out, laughing lightly. "Listen well, young lady! Don't be fooled by that title "World of Dreams"! I don't meant to imply that this world you see doesn't truly EXIST. It is…how shall I put it?" The bird thought about it for a moment, then nodded. "It is another world, one that you humans can only visit when you are fast asleep. We denizens of this place refer to it as the Night Dimension. People who come to this dimension from YOUR world are called visitors!"

Owl plopped down onto the ground, bowing. "Forgive me, please. "I do tend to rattle on! You may call me Owl, visitor!"

Then, with a twinkling of golden dust and a whistle, something burst in between the two of them, knocking both flat upon their bottoms. Helen moaned as she rubbed her butt, while Owl tried to stand up. "What-what's this?" Owl asked, rubbing his head. Then he adjusted his glasses, getting a better look at who it was. "Dearest me, you gave me quite a fright! You ought to know better than to startle your elders!" He said, puffing himself up.

The offender was a jester with a two-pronged purple cap and had a red and pink vest with a sparkling red crystal on the front as a clasp and gold trimmings. It also had had purple pants that appeared to be quite tight and smooth, and wore white gloves. This jester had on pink boots with purple tips and big, large, cat-like eyes that were the color of the sky. It lazily sat in midair, looking them over.

Then it floated over to the girl. "Hey there! Sorry about the old bird over there!" It told Helen. "I know it's kind of a drag listening to him squawk on and on!" It laughed.

"Ex-EXCUSE me? A DRAG? I was simply welcoming the visitor-!!" Owl protested.

"Who…who are you?" Helen asked as the jester whizzed around in the air above her, letting little blue trails of light flicker behind it.

"My name is NiGHTS! Let me tell you, you'll have a much better time flying around with me than chatting with old Owl?"

NiGHTS flew down, extending her hand. "So how about it? Want to dualize with me and try your hand at flying around?"

Helen looked down at the hand. "Dualize?...f-flying?"

"Hoo!" Owl exclaimed. "Yes, NiGHTS is able to dualize with visitors! The process allows for you to assimilate your bodies!"

"What do you mean?" Helen asked.

Owl sighed. "It's…eh…it's easier to explain if you'll just try it. Go over and touch NiGHTS…that is, of course, if you're interested in that sort of thing."

Helen blinked, then approached NiGHTS, who raised her hand forward. Helen put her hand on the female jester's, and a beautiful shining light surrounded them. In an instant, she was transformed, and…

"I…what's happened to me?" Helen asked.

"You and I have dualized together." NiGHTS explained. "We now move as one! What you do, I do, and vice versa! Here, let me show you how to fly around…"

…

…

…

…eventually Helen began to get more accustomed to flying, to feeling the wind sooth her face. She laughed as they hovered over the forest, moving towards the abyss before them.

"Hey, hang on, there's something I forgot to tell you!" NiGHTS announced, bringing them to a stop and pointing forward. "Do you see that? That's the Dark Ocean." She said, pointing into the cloudy abyss. "You'd be best off if you don't go anywhere near it!"

"You mean that ocean with the cloudy, milky black water?" Helen asked.

"Right…" NiGHTS said, crossing her arms. "I don't really know exactly what it is myself…but…" She hesitated. "It's said it that it can destroy a Visitor's soul!"

Helen's eyes went wide.

"And then…they can never return here again!"

"Oh my!" Helen gasped.

NiGHTS then shrugged. "But anyway, I'm sure it's just a story…let's get back to the dream gate!" And with that, they flew off through the air.

**Author's Note: **

**What ho! Helen's tale begineth! Revieweth-sorry, uh, review please!**


	22. Chapter 21

**Author's Note:**

**For those of you wondering, yes, NiGHTS is a girl...why? Because the character's been described by Takashi Iizuka, the lead game designer for the NiGHTS series, as "a mirror of the child." The player is supposed to become Nights, thus being either gender depending on the interpretation of the player. So Will sees NiGHTS as a boy, Helen sees NiGHTS as a girl. Simple, no? **

**Moving right along! And don't forget to review!**

**CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE**

As NiGHTS and Helen flew back down, they un-dualized, returning to their normal bodies in a sparkle of blue light. Then Owl let out an exclamation. "Hoo-hoo!"

"What is it?" NiGHTS asked.

Owl pointed across them. "How curious! The door to Nightopia seems to have appeared…but then that must mean…" He turned to look at Helen. "You must have an Ideya!"

"What's an Ideya? And Nightopia?" Helen asked.

Owl adjusted his glasses. "Well, dear visitor, an ideya is a spark of light that dwell within the hearts of Visitors like yourself! Here in the Night Dimension, an Ideya can give form to the paradise known as Nightopia!"

"A paradise?" Helen asked excitedly, eyes going wide with anticipation.

"Oh, come on!" NiGHTS asked, looking very eager as she hovered around the girl and the owl. "Enough with the explanations, let's just go check it out!"

Then she stopped, looking at Helen. "Oh, by the way, what's your name, young lady?"

"My name is Helen." Helen said, curtseying. "It's a pleasure to meet you, NiGHTS!"

"The pleasure's all mine, Helen!" NiGHTS said, bowing. "Let's go then, Helen!"

"All right!" Helen exclaimed.

Suddenly something killed the mood faster than a bullet cutting through glass. A form rushed through the air, grabbing NiGHTS by the throat and slamming her against the door to Nightopia with a mighty KA-SLAM.

"Ah, NiGHTS…long time no see!" The form spoke. It looked a lot like NiGHTS, for it too was an acrobatic jester with a double-tipped cap and vest…however instead of gloves it had a gauntlet that allowed it's fingers to flex out freely, and instead of the creamy skin NiGHTS had, it was pale and frightening. The color scheme was black and red upon it's body, and it was wearing a golden mask over it's icy blue eyes. "Out for a walk with your little visitor friend, are we?" The jester asked, amused. It's voice was distinguished and cultured, yet unmistakably sinister.

"Reala…" NiGHTS gasped out, trying to pull the jester's hand away from her throat.

The other jester, who was apparently named Reala, smirked. "Sorry, NiGHTS." He told her without any real trace of remorse in his voice. "I'm under orders to put you away for a bit. Nothing personal." He added, shrugging.

"Leave NiGHTS alone!" Helen shouted, rushing forward. But suddenly Owl swooped in front of her, preventing her from going any farther.

"Stay back! You're no match for that monster, Helen!" Owl exclaimed.

"Ha-ha-ha! Yes, yes, listen to your elders." Reala said, smirking at Helen. "You're just a helpless little girl, after all!" He closed his eyes, chuckling evilly, then thrust NiGHTS and himself through the door to Nightopia, vanishing with a flash.

"Oh my…I'm so sorry! That was terrible frightening, wasn't it?" Owl remarked as Helen sank to her knees, one hand held to her lips in fear. "That was a Nightmaren, from the dark realm of Nightmare! They aim to take Ideya from Visitors to destroy and enslave Nightopia! When Visitors come here to the Night Dimension, they ambush them and take their Ideya! In all likelihood, that very same thing happened to you as well-OH!" Owl gasped as he saw a light shining from Helen's hands.

Helen held them up, looking down in amazement. "What…is this? It feels warm…"

"That crimson light…could it be? It is! A RED Ideya! It must be what called forth this door to Nightopia…the Red Ideya of Courage! With this, you would have the power to rescue NiGHTS! But…" Owl adjusted his glasses. "That is solely your decision. If you decide you wish to aid NiGHTS, then meet me on the other side of the door…"

With a "ba-boomp", Owl vanished like a bubble bursting. Helen looked down at her glowing red hands, who began to lose their light. In a few moments, they returned to normal.

Should she?

She should. She did. She opened the door…

…

…

…

…she was greeted by a beautiful beach, with a calming breeze that carried the scent of the sea to her nostrils. Little purple "horns" were sticking out of the ground, sending little bubbles flying into the air. Owl was sitting on a rock by some strange creatures that looked like little angels, complete with haloes, wings, rosy cheeks and cute outfits.

"So THIS is Nightopia…a paradise created by the ideya!" Helen exclaimed, looking around.

"Ah, I KNEW that you would come!" Owl said, smiling. "Allow me to introduce to the Nightopians!"

They nervously looked up at Helen, clinging to each other. "What's the matter?" Helen asked.

The Nightopians muttered something in a language she didn't recognize. Helen turned to Owl. "Normally Nightopians are cheerful and bright, but they've been quite scared by the recent Nightmaren activity that's taking place here in Aqua Garden."

"The poor things…" Helen said, gently caressing one of their heads. It whimpered, then held her hand, squeezing it.

"They say that NiGHTS has been locked up in that cage over there." Owl said, gesturing over to the side. Helen turned to get a better look at the place, looking around at the floating islands who's waterfalls deposited their shining water into ponds below. Palm trees swayed back and forth in the air and a large Greek coliseum was visible in the back…but what was prominent was a cage of gold with a translucent wall to show NiGHTS rapping her hands against the cell, demanding to be let out or she would "Paraloop them so far, so fast, they'd be knocked into next week".

"So, the problem is…" Owl began…but he didn't get to finish, because Helen took off towards the cage. "W-Wait! You mustn't' rush!"

"NiGHTS!" Helen called out to the cage. "Are you okay?"

NiGHTS turned around, eyes going wide. "Helen! What are you doing here?"

"I wanted…to help you." Helen said. "But…I don't know if I can…" She said, looking down at her hands. Suddenly they began to glow with the red light they'd had from before.

"Helen, is that a Red Ideya?" NiGHTS asked, a smile appearing on her features. "Okay, that Red Ideya is enough to free me from this cage!" She told Helen. "Come on! Climb up that chain below and let's show these guys we mean business!" NiGHTS exclaimed.

Helen blinked, then nodded, rushing towards the golden chain and climbing up, into the cage. She and NiGHTS held their hands together, and warm light bathed over them…

…

…

…

…the bird riders didn't stand a chance. NiGHTS and Helen landed on the beach next to the cheering Nightopians, clapping their hands together. "Amazing flying, Helen!"

"Oh, that felt WONDERFUL!"

_Helen, NiGHTS, get ready!  
_

The two of them stopped in mid-clap and looked around. "Who's there?"

_No time for introductions now…just get ready! A Nightmaren is coming!_

Darkness surrounded them…

…

…

…

…low growling that erupted into nasty chuckling. They'd been transported to an abyss tainted by the color dark green, and were in the middle of some abandoned stadium, with a large chandelier in the middle of the stadium, facing upward, with chilling, unnaturally-colored flames rising into the sky. Helen and NiGHTS re-dualized and were hovering in the air, looking around for the source of-

WOAH! Bursting up from the ground, swimming through it as easily as it's kind should swim through water, was a frightening-looking fish. It appeared to be wearing a gladiatorial helmet, complete with armor, over it's bright blue body…no, the whole body was made of some kind of metal, save for the head! It's tail was metallic and spiked, it's fins were segmented into spiked metal rods, it had a metal goatee, but most disturbing of all was the face, a huge, nasty grin with a small, thin black moustache and glowing pinkish eyes that were twitching around, as if trying to escape from their sockets.

"Hee-hee-hee…heh-heh-heh. I am…Giriana!" The fish said, sneering. "Ees not very smart to be swimming around in MY ocean, leetle feeshes!"

"What an odd accent…is it French?" The purple jester asked, tilting her head to the side.

"Let's get 'im." Helen said. "For some reason I feel a HUGE urge to whack him-AAA!"

The huge fish leapt up in the air at them, and they barely flew out of the way in time. Giriana's annoying laughter filled the air.

"This guy's more annoying than Gulpo! I wish he'd just say his name over and over like HE did…" NiGHTS remarked.

"Gulpo?"

"Ah, yes, he was my brothair!" Giriana snapped. "And you shall PAY for what you did, NiGHTS!"

He leapt up in the air and Helen did the only thing she could think of…rushing forward, slapping the most noticeable place that was in front of her…Giriana's eye.

The gigantic fish blinked…then exploded into BALLOONS of a hundred different colors! NiGHTS suddenly grinned. "Helen…paralooping sends items to a far-off location…so what do you think would happen if I paralooped those balloons?"

"Let's try it!" Helen said, and they paralooped around a large cluster of balloons. PA-WOOMF! They were gone. They looped around another group…PA-WOOMF! They went goodbye!

POOF! Giriana re-appeared. But…he was MUCH smaller. "You ruffians!" He snapped. "I shall bite you upon the bottom so hard that you will be unable to sit down for WEEKS!" He rushed at them, jaws snapping.

NiGHTS grinned, waited…and then quickly paralooped around him. BA-WHOOMP! He was out of there!

Slowly but surely, the dark abyss around them vanished, and Helen found herself slowly falling…falling…back towards the Dream Gate.

_Nice job, Helen! _

She heard the voice again, but she wasn't afraid of it…she felt a little…braver now…


	23. Chapter 22

**CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO**

Helen had landed back at the Dream Gate, looking at NiGHTS, who was sitting at the fountain. She walked over to NiGHTS who sighed, looking up at her.

"Hello Helen." NiGHTS said. "I'm glad to see you're alright! Thank you for your help!"

"Thanks to YOU, NiGHTS." Helen insisted. "You were _amazing_."

"Ho-hoh-hoh!" Owl said, approaching from the skies, laughing. "Well done, well done! You have truly proven yourself worthy of the Ideya of Courage!"

"But…I just…" Helen blushed nervously.

"It's still too early to celebrate though." Owl explained, raising a feather. "You see, all Visitors possess a total of 5 different ideya upon entering the Night Dimension. The Blue Ideya represents Intelligence and Knowledge. The White Ideya represents Purity and Kindness. The Green Ideya represents Wisdom and Growth, and the Yellow Ideya represents Hope and Faith."

"Oh wow!" Helen said. "They sound so…important!"

"They ARE, little Visitor." Owl said, nodding. "You held onto your Red Ideya, which represents Courage and Bravery. Using your Red Ideya, you will be able to fight against the Nightmaren and be able to take back your Ideya. Retrieve them all, and peace will be restored to Nightopia. The fact that your beloved "Aqua Garden" exists means that there is an ideya hidden away somewhere."

"Really?" Helen asked.

"Yes, ideya are the very source of Nightopia! Now listen well…" He took a deep breath. "These ideya are pieces of your very heart. Retrieve them, and your heart will win out over the Nightmaren."

"I understand Owl." Helen said. "But tell me…what do you expect me to do? I'm just a girl…"

"Claris said that too." NiGHTS said, floating over to her. "But she got brave…and so will you!" She insisted proudly.

"Claris?" Helen asked.

"Yes, she and Elliot were a pair of Visitors who helped me fight against the Nightmaren forces before." NiGHTS said.

"I don't understand…the Nightmarens come from humans, why would they want to hurt us?" Helen asked. "Don't they have hearts?"

"Unfortunately…" Owl sighed. "Many are mindless beasts who only obey their wicked master. Others that are more intelligent are…" He looked hesitant. "Corrupt…their power stems from emotions like pride and gluttony and rage…envy and insanity and cruelty…"

NiGHTS felt a pang run through her. Puffy… Gulpo…Gillwing…Clawz…Jackle…Reala…

_It hurts, doesn't it?_

NiGHTS, Owl and Helen looked up. "Who's there?" Helen asked.

_I'm sorry, how rude of me! Please let me introduce myself!_

A beautiful shining star slowly descended from the ground, and a youth hopped off it. He had brown hair that was curly/wavy and brushed back, and he wore a big blue vest with a green polo shirt underneath. He wore blue jeans and had a very nice and friendly face, with white sneakers. He had on a blue watch with many buttons and wore a circular mood necklace that had a shark tooth attached to it.

"Hello, I'm the narrator!" He said. "It's a pleasure to meet you all." He added, getting on his knee and kissing Helen and NiGHTS's hands respectively. "I know you couldn't see, but I stood when you first arrived, since it's the polite thing to do when a lady enters the scene."

"Ah, you are the narrator?" Owl asked, eyes going wide. "Allow me to explain, Visitor. Narrators are omnipotent storytellers here in the Night Dimension. They're Dreamers, like you, who have gained incredible privilege. In exchange for omnipotence, they guide dreamers through dreams of all kinds! Normally narrators can't directly interfere…and normally, they know everything about the charges they're taking care of!" Owl remarked condescendingly.

"Well sorry, I'm the new guy." The kid remarked. "What about you, Owl? Elliot and Claris didn't have YOU to help them before and they did just fine with only NiGHTS helping them.'

"True, I was taking care of the Nightopians and not the Visitors in the old days, but now I will do everything I can to aid you, as will NiGHTS…" Owl went on. "Though YOU, Mr. Grey, should not take a direct-"

"Blah-blah-blaaah!" The narrator groaned. "I'm **ECCENTRIC**. I'll do what I want. But don't worry Helen…NiGHTS knows his stuff. Now…" He smiled. "I'll see you in Aqua Garden! You're going to have lots of fun!"

…

…

…

...Aqua Garden was looking good…and the Nightopians were having a ball…

Or more specifically, a bubble. That's right, they were tossing bubbles around, attempting to add little bubbles to one great, big, HUGE bubble that was almost as big as Giriana had been. NiGHTS blinked at the sight, tilting her head slightly.

"I don't believe this." She remarked. "Even with the Nightmarens out there, these fellows are so carefree!" She laughed. "I guess that's part of what makes Nightopia such a great place!"

Helen smiled, then looked back over at the chatting Nightopians. "Hey look! Owl is over there too!"

Owl was trying his hand…or rather wing…at the game as well. He whacked a smaller bubble at the BIG one…but the little one bounced off and encased his head. He flailed around, hooting angrily, then got his head unstuck as the Nightopians giggled madly. NiGHTS floated over with Helen right beside her as Owl shook the water out of his ears.

"Ooh-hoo-hoo! Hello you two! Glad to see you here…I assume you've…" He blushed. "I suppose you've already seen my lack of grace?"

The two looked at each other, then Owl, then began to giggle madly.

"You mustn't kid yourself my dears." Owl insisted. "The larger a bubble ball is, the more difficult it is to control-"

By now the giggling had turned into full-fledged laughter. NiGHTS was holding her sides as she tried to keep it in.

"I say! You must RESPECT your elders!" Owl muttered angrily. "All right then, let's have a proper match! Let's see if you can make a bubble ball larger than mine!"

Helen and NiGHTS finally got the laughing out of their system, then smiled. "You're on!" NiGHTS said, holding up a hand which Helen took. In an instant they dualized, and floated into the air.

The little tubes below them on the beach pumped bubbles up into the air. There was a slightly small, central bubble before them, which they had to pump up to a larger size than the one Owl had had…

This proved to be slightly hard. Helen and NiGHTS flew around, bumping the bubbles into the center bubble, but it was taking too long. Then Helen got an idea.

"What if…we added the smaller bubbles all up?" She suggested as they little bubbles floated around them.

"All right then!" NiGHTS said, nodding. She quickly looped around the bubbles, forcing them together…and created an ENORMOUS bubble that was ten times bigger than their head! They eased it towards the central bubble, and it squeezed in, increasing the size to an impressive amount. Owl's eyes went wide. "You-you're breaking my record!" He gasped.

A few minutes later, they hadn't just broken, they'd OBLITERATED it. Helen's brainstorm had given NiGHTS serious inspiration, and she had added up all the bubbles nearby, THEN had forcibly aimed the bubble-blowing pipes at the center bubble. By now it was as big as the cliff itself.

"This is the most spectacular bubble I've ever seen!" Owl remarked.

"I must admit, it's the biggest bubble I've ever made." NiGHTS admitted sheepishly.

"Well done, well done!" Owl said. The Nightopians began to cheer and clap, making NiGHTS and Helen blush.

"This might be the nicest moment I've had here so far." Helen said.

A Nightopian drifted closer to the bubble…reaching out with dry, dry hands…

**PA-POOOOWWWW!!**

"…and now it's over." NiGHTS remarked as bubble juice dripped down her head, off the tips of her jester cap. Owl was flopping on the beach, moaning and groaning like a fish out of water as he tried to get the stickiness off him.

**Author's Note:**

**Ah, I do so love playing with bubbles myself. Give me some liquid soap, a sink and a few minutes and I'll go to TOWN on the bathroom! Review, people!**


	24. Chapter 23

**CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE**

Helen, NiGHTS and Owl were drying off thanks to the narrator. He'd shown back up at the dream gate with a HUGE stack of towels and a hair dryer for the "lovely Ms. Cartwright". Helen was very flattered.

"I admit, you seem very skilled in making water bubble balls." Owl remarked as he cleaned the last of the bubble juice off of him. "You have a keen mind. Perhaps you will be able to retrieve your ideya after all!"

"I'll do everything I can to help you out, Ms. Cartwright." The narrator added. "I was a little worried when Giriana almost ate you…"

"Well, this is just a dream." Helen remarked. "I can't REALLY be hurt…can I?"

NiGHTS and Owl looked at each other, then at Helen.

"Well…"

"Uh…"

"You see…"

"Yes, you can get seriously hurt here in the Night Dimension and it would really have an awful effect on you in the real world…" The narrator admitted.

"Really?" Helen asked.

"I thought it was possible for you to die here and thus die in the real world, you see, I've been doing some reading!" The kid said, holding up a book that said "Dreams for Dummies". "Turns out you could die here in Nightopia and still LIVE, but you would STILL undergo some serious psychological damage. You see, if you had lost ALL your ideya, you would have nothing but nightmares for the rest of your life!"

"OH." Helen gasped, hand flying to her mouth.

"And NiGHTS could get killed here in the Night Dimension…" The narrator said sadly. Then he raised a hand, holding the book to his chest like it was a Bible. "But I am NOT going to let you get hurt." The narrator swore. "You have my promise, I'll do everything I can to protect you, Ms. Cartwright!" He said, saluting. "And I'll look after NiGHTS and Owl too!"

"We appreciate the concern, but really, the visitor's safety comes first."

"Ladies first!" NiGHTS laughed.

"Aren't you a lady yourself?" The narrator asked.

"Am I?" NiGHTS shrugged. "What do I look like to you, Helen?"

"A girl." Helen answered.

"Then that's what I am." NiGHTS said. "Now then, let's get going back to Aqua Garden!"

…

…

…

…having dualized with NiGHTS again, Helen was flying through Aqua Garden's skies when she was something…odd. It was a light blue jar with pink designs upon it…and something was poking it's head out of the jar.

"Is it a Nightmaren?" Helen asked fearfully.

"No, no, that's just Octopaw!" NiGHTS laughed, putting her hands on her hips. "You're scared of everything, aren't you?"

"Octopaw?" Helen asked. "What's that?"

"There are lots of different kinds of things here in Nightopia." NiGHTS explained, sitting in midair, crossing her arms and legs as she explained things to Helen. "Nightopians you've seen before…they're good little things that are natural inhabitants of Nightopia! Nightmarens are created from bad feelings that visitors have…they're the bad guys."

_Like Reala! _The narrator spoke up. _His specialty is making boys and girls cry and being cruel, therefore every day he scared a visitor is a wonderful day. _

"I'd say you hit the nail dead on the head." NiGHTS admitted. "Wizeman created him. Originally Nightmarens didn't exist so much as constructs of his personality did… you know, "Reala" isn't even his real name." NiGHTS laughed. "He just took it because it sounds more "impressive".

"What's his real name, then?" Helen asked.

_You didn't hear this from ME, but it's…Reals. And his nickname is "Ree"._

Helen chuckled. "Aw, "Ree" sounds cute!"

"Now you know why he changed it!" NiGHTS snickered. "Now Maren, they are neither good or bad. At one point they were Nightmaren, but they were sort of…weak to start with. Then they 

become harmless! And of course, there are Mepians, who are a blend of Nightopian and Nightmaren…they're not the nicest things around, I'll admit…"

"Is Octopaw a Mepian?"

"No, he's a Maren." NiGHTS said. "And he's somewhat of a scaredy-cat. If you chase after him, he'll leave behind a trail of rings! It's good practice!"

NiGHTS's eyes widened. She got an idea. "Say…" She smiled, raising a finger. "How about you give it a shot? You're used to flying by now, aren't you? So let's go!"

"H-hey, wait a minute…" Helen began.

"Nope, too late for that! Here…we…goooo!" NiGHTS laughed, flying after Octopaw, who had floated out of it's container on it's little golden wings and was now flying away quickly, letting loose little golden rings behind it.

NiGHTS flew through the first series of rings, past a beautiful Athenian stadium that looked PERFECT for tennis, then followed a large fountain, sliding across it to go through another set of rings. "Woohoo! Isn't this fun, Helen?"

Helen and NiGHTS then ducked underneath palm tree before flying up and past a large column of water that was pouring between two more Grecian structures, making Helen laugh. "Yes, this…this feels nice!" She admitted as they passed over a beach.

The two flew right through a hue well that was spraying water everywhere, then passed over a crystal-clear pond before finally coming to a stop through one last group of rings that was directly over a large lake area with many little inlets, where the Nightopians were playing fishing games. They dove down, spiraling through the air and sending little splashes of water flying at the Nightopians, who giggled and splashed them back.

"How many rings did we go through?" Helen asked as they swooped back up into the sky.

"53!" NiGHTS said, spinning around. "Ha-ha! A new record!" She put her hands on her hips and lowered them back down to the ground so they could un-dualize. After returning to their separate bodies, NiGHTS tilted her head to the side and looked down at Helen. "So…what do you think?"

"Chasing Octopaw IS fun!" Helen admitted. "…thank you, NiGHTS!"

"It was my pleasure." NiGHTS said, smiling.


	25. Chapter 24

**CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR**

Helen found herself returning back to the Dream Gate. As she walked along the path towards Owl, she noticed something…REALLY noticed something…

"The fountain's dry." She remarked as she approached it. It was too bad, it was a very pretty fountain. On the top was a person on their tippy-toes, holding up a large water jug, the symbol of Aquarius. On either side of the fountain in the lower basin area were two dolphins that looked rather lonely and bored without any water to play in.

"Ah, yes, it is…" Owl admitted. "But…"

"Luckily that's what THESE are for!"

Helen turned around and saw the narrator was carting something over to the fountain in a big shopping cart…they were rounded, glistening blue balls. They appeared to be swirling around, like somebody had taken crystal balls and sloshed them full of blue water.

"These are Blue Chips, or Blue Drops. Basically they're magical…and they're connected to the fountain." The narrator explained. He tossed the blue balls into the fountain, and they dissolved into sparkling blue light that the fountain absorbed. "If you found enough of them…then something special would happen! I can feel it in my bones-WOAH!"

The narrator gulped. "I feel…I feel something's wrong. I'm getting the Willies!" His body began to shake. "You-you'd better get going to Aqua Garden!"

NiGHTS flew down from the nearest tree branch, stopping her flute-playing. "All right…Helen, let's go."

…

…

…

…normally the skies of Aqua Garden were sunny and unmarked by darkness, but flying over the Marine Trench region…it was different. Dark clouds were slowly moving towards Aqua Garden, and a chill had entered the air.

"It's like a dark cloud from Nightmare…" NiGHTS whispered. "It seems…alive…"

Owl flapped down next to him as they looked at the approaching clouds. "So, you've noticed those ominous clouds as well?" Owl asked quietly. "It might be an omen signaling Nightmare's invasion!"

"Nightmare's invasion?" Helen asked, gasping.

_Yes, Nightmare wants to conquer Nightopia and destroy what it can't enslave, remember? _They heard the narrator tell them.

"Whatever the case…" Owl frowned. "Something is DEFINITELY awry here…we had best be getting on-"

Then something slowly emerged from the cloud…a metallic hand with clawed tips, and an eye in the center of the palm, purplish/blue in color. All in all, it was frightening to behold.

"What's that?" Owl asked, surprised.

"No…it can't be!" NiGHTS gasped.

_No you don't! You leave them alone you selfish-!! _

The narrator never finished. The hand stretched itself out, summoning forth a huge tornado that quickly swept towards them. Before they could run away, it had caught up to them, and they were spinning rapidly around, desperately trying to escape from the tornado. Arms flailing, NiGHTS and Helen were forcibly un-dualized and then the worst happened…

Helen shot out of the tornado and fell down…down…down into the open Marine Trench, unable to hear her friend's cry out for her over the wail of the tornado and the sound of her own screams.

…

…

…

…SPLASH!

She hit the water…she was breathing? In the water? How strange were the laws of physics here…or rather, the LACK of the laws of physics. That didn't change the fact that she was falling, falling, falling! How was she going to survive THIS? She looked down at the approaching sea floor below and screamed, covering her eyes…

BA-WHOOMF!

Helen opened her eyes, looking around. She'd landed in a mattress truck!

"Mr. Narrator, did you do this?" She asked, looking up into the sky.

_I was NOT about to let you get squished._ The narrator insisted. _Don't worry, Owl and NiGHTS are fine, they're just…well…being blown far away. You'd better hurry up to them. Just follow the __trench, it eventually will lead you back up to sea level and to the others. I'll try and make sure Owl and NiGHTS don't bite the big one! _

"Mr. Narrator…what was that…thing?" Helen asked as she climbed down from the truck.

…_well, I've done some reading…a long time ago, there was a person who was…well, who was frightened by the Night Dimension. He landed in the Dark Ocean and instead of using his inner strength to control himself, he lost himself and his Ideya among the abyss. Eventually he was filled with a selfish desire to take any Ideya he could find from any other humans that would enter the Night Dimension and to control Nightopia…and eventually he'd want to control the human world too…_

"Oh my…" Helen whispered.

_I'd love to tell you the rest, but NiGHTS knows the story better…speaking of that lovable jester, I've gotta go find her! Be careful! Oh, and use the Blue thingies! They can stun any Nightmaren you'll come across!_

Helen nodded, running as fast as she could along the trench. Beautiful orange and red and yellow fish floated by her as she ran down the trench. She pocketed a few Blue Chips, hoping that she wouldn't have to use them…

Unfortunately she DID have to. A swarm of Sea Horse-like Nightmaren approaching. They were light green in color, with pinkish gills and pink quills sticking out of their heads. These were "Sea Breeds", a slightly docile Nightmaren that, luckily for Helen, proved easily skittish, like real horses.

Remembering a trick one of her friends had played on a horse before when they'd been out riding, Helen ran forward. "HIYAH!" Helen shouted, waving her hands in the air wildly. "WAA, I'M AN EVIL VISITOR! RUN BEFORE I EAT YOU!"

The Sea Breeds all screamed and swam for their lives. Satisfied with this, Helen climbed over a ledge and made her way across a large sunken ship. The boards creaked below her as she walked carefully…carefully…

Then as he jumped off the boat and onto another high-top ledge, she saw strange red and turquoise puffer fish. "More Nightmarens?"

They saw her and immediately puffed up, showing off impressive-looking spikes. They floated towards her and she whipped out some of her Blue Chips, tossing them at the Puffers. They were blasted away, conking into each other with a coconut-like sound that made Helen giggle. Embarassed, the Puffers swam away while Helen ran up an old gangplank that was leftover from a ship, and began to steadily move higher and higher…

She soon found herself on another old ship. But as she stepped onto it, it rose up, up, high up through the platform! Amazed at this service, Helen watched as the fish swam by her in big schools, circling around her…and then…

They scattered, revealing she was at the bottom of a slimy, algae-covered set of stone steps that were leading up to the top of the trench. Helen ignored how gross the smell alone was and slowly ascended the steps…

She was greeted by fresh air…and NiGHTS and Owl were there, waiting for her.

"Helen, thank goodness you're alright! I thought that monster had…" NiGHTS didn't go on. Helen understood though.

"It's alright. I'm fine." She said gently. "Who was that?"

"Wizeman the Wicked." NiGHTS muttered. "He was once a Visitor who got lost in Nightopia. He was so scared of the Night Dimension that he tried to create company for himself…company based on parts of his personality, like his creativity, his willpower, his intelligence, his love of music, and so on…" NiGHTS sighed.

"But then he began to become corrupted. He was filled with a selfish desire to take other Visitor's Ideya from them, and when he changed, he ordered his creations to change and those that didn't follow along weren't exactly...well…he's not a very nice person. You can imagine what he did." NiGHTS whispered softly. "Because of him Claris and Elliot went through a lot of terrible danger. So when you went into the trench, I was worried that it was happening all over again!"

"I'm…I'm just glad to see you again!" Helen said, jumping up and hugging NiGHTS, who returned the hug, blushing slightly.

Owl smiled. All was right with the world. Helen was proving herself to be a courageous girl.

**Author's Note:**

**So now you know the truth behind Wizeman! Stipped of his own Ideya, he now seeks to rule the Night Dimension by taking it from others! Review, please. **


	26. Chapter 25

**CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE**

"IIIIIIII'm sailing, oh yes I'm sailin' on the sea! IIIIII'm makin'…believe I'm captain of the "Pea"!"

The narrator was riding by Helen and NiGHTS on a little boat as he bobbed his head back and forth, singing to the Nightopians. "Row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream! Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, this is not a dream!"

Owl floated after him. "Slow…down!" He called out. "I'm not as…not as young as I used to be!"

"Great green gobs of greasy grimy gopher guts! Mutilated monkey meat, constipated turtle's feet!" The narrator sang as he strummed on a guitar. "French fried eye balls rollin' up the dirty street, floating in my blue lemonade, and I forgot the spoon! They gave me chopstiiiicks!"

"Your song defies ALL logic!" Owl hooted after him.

"Yeah, well, you're wearing glasses!" The narrator snapped back.

"These are-these are just reading glasses!"

"Liar, liar pants on fire!"

Helen and NiGHTS, who had both dualized, weren't actually floating ON the water so much as they were floating ABOVE the water. NiGHTS put her hands behind her head and smiled as he looked up at the sun.

"It looks as though a lot of the light has returned to Aqua Garden." She commented. "At this rate, we'll have your White Ideya back in no time!" She went on.

"All right!" Helen said happily.

The narrator, who was a good distance away, suddenly gasped in surprise. "Oh no!" He looked down at his watch, eyes widening, then turned back to face them. "HELEN! NIGHTS! SWIM, FLY, GET AWAY!"

They tilted their heads to the side. Was that…music playing from his watch? Helen was SURE she'd heard that theme song before…

Uh oh.

Too late did she realize the truth. In an instant, a large, armored piranha jumped up and swallowed her and NiGHTS on the spot. They screamed as they went down into Girania's gullet as the evil Nightmaren laughed and laughed, fading away from the water before the narrator could stop him.

…

…

…

….Girania smirked to itself. "I could just digest you two, baht no…I want mah meat TENDERIZED before I enjoy eet!"

He spat them out and they hit hard concrete. NiGHTS and Helen rubbed their heads before jumping back into the air, their dualized forms taking a fighting position. They recognized the battleground instantly….an abyss tainted by the color dark green inside of an abandoned stadium, with a large chandelier in the middle of the stadium, facing upward, with chilling, unnaturally-colored flames rising into the sky.

"Not this creepy place again!" NiGHTS remarked.

"Ooh, this place gives me the willies."

"I am going to give you more than ze willies, leetle girl!" Girania snarled. "I am going to give you a very painful death! NiGHTS especially…"

"Is this about Gulpo? Because if it is…" NiGHTS remarked.

"My brothair's soul screams for vengeance, you annoying jestair!" Girania howled as he rushed at NiGHTS, who quickly zoomed out of the way. Girania swirled back at him, snapping it's jaws. "Stay still you leetle-"

NiGHTS and Helen struck his eye. BA-BAM! His body exploded into balloons.

"You thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?" NiGHTS asked.

She was! They proceeded to paraloop as many of the balloons as they could get. Unfortunately that wasn't much, because just a few moments later, Girania reformed into it's nasty old armored self and dove at them again. NiGHTS swirled through the air, barely able to dodge the evil fish, who was cackling madly.

"Oh, his laughter's so horrible!" Helen said.

"You're going to die! Oh happy, happy, happeeee!" The fish sang.

_Your momma was a fishstick!_

Girania stopped in mid-air. "Who said that?"

"I DID!" The narrator remarked, appearing from behind Girania, and grabbing the fish's tail. He swung it at NiGHTS, who flew right at Girania's eye again…

BA-BAM! Balloons all over again! And this time, when Girania reformed.

"HA! Now I shall…shall…shall…"

NiGHTS and Helen stood over the fish, towering above him. "Shall WHAT?" NiGHTS asked, amused.

"…oh foo." The fish remarked as NiGHTS grabbed him, twirled him around and around, then tossed him into the sky. He vanished with a twinkle.

"Who was…uh, "Gulpo"?" Helen asked. "NiGHTS, you wouldn't really…really KILL anyone, would you?"

NiGHTS looked down at the ground and sighed. "Well, you see, this was back when I was dualizing with Elliot and Claris. There we were, flying through the skies, when all turned dark. And then…

…

…

…

…The dualized NiGHTS, Elliot and Claris floated around in what was like a fishbowl from HELL. It was made completely of water, and although they could breathe just fine, there was no way out. The walls, the top, the bottom, all of it was made of water that rushed on and on. A dark abyss could be seen on the outside…as well as strange, red fish-shaped buttons that were littered all around the walls of the tank, spaced out. And in the center…

A large fish with sharp spikes upon it's back, it's fins and the top of it's head. It grinned, showing off fangs. The spikes were yellow with light orange tips, and it blinked it's big red eyes at them.

"Oh good, you're here. I was getting hungry…GULPO!"

"Gulpo, hold on, I already beat Gillwing and Puffy, I can beat you too!" NiGHTS warned.

Gulpo just let out a big raspberry. "Not nice of you killing cousin Gillwing…gonna beat you for that! Made Jackle upset, so gonna GULPO you, GULPO-GULPO!"

NiGHTS looked hurt. Claris understood instantly.

"That's right…you said Gullwing and Jackle were friends, right?"

"…yes." She admitted.

"GULPO!" Gulpo howled, diving at them, trying to swallow them whole. NiGHTS instinctively moved back, and Gulpo's jaws clamped shut on nothing. But NiGHTS had moved right into the orange fish button…

It was actually a SPRING. It shot NiGHTS at Gulpo, knocking him clear across the tank space, making him groan in pain. Elliot's eyes widened as he and the other two smiled. "That's it! Quick! Line up another shot!"

Gulpo shook the cobwebs from its head as it looked up and saw NiGHTS cheekily pulling on her cheeks. Growling furiously, Gulpo dove at her…

NiGHTS quickly jumped backwards, slamming against the spring. It launched her like a bullet at Gulpo, knocking it back across the arena.

Now Gulpo was furious. Snarling, it slammed it's fin into NiGHTS, sending her flying. Smirking, it slowly advanced on its unconscious prey and opened it's jaws…

Then NiGHTS's eyes shot open and she looked up, smirking. It was a trick. She dove right underneath Gulpo, pressing against another spring. She launched upwards, and…

BA-BOOOM! With a mighty cry, Gulpo floated up to the top of the tank, then vanished in a flash of blue light that encompassed them all…

…

…

…

Helen looked around and found herself in the middle of a white abyss. She looked up and saw something approaching, a glowing orb of white light that fell down into her outstretched hands. The large orb shone gently, comfortingly.

"This is…the White Ideya." She realized. "A reflection of a pure heart…is it…my heart?"

She felt it slowly fade into her body and she smiled.

It was…it was…

…

…

…

..Wizeman floated in his palace, a frown apparent upon his face. "Reala…this news that Girania has been defeated…" He paused for a moment as one of his hands floated over to Reala, the eye glowing purplish/green in a mix of curiosity, fury and amusement. "Is it…true?"

Reala bowed in a respectful manner towards Wizeman. "My apologies, Master…" Reala panted, fear filling him from head to toe. "I fear it is!"

The eye widened, and then floated back to Wizeman's form. "Hmmmm…" Wizeman mumbled.

"Worry not though, master." Reala insisted, clenching a fist. A form rose in between them, a smirk upon her green, ugly face. "The next of your servants is already on her way."

"I see…" Wizeman remarked as the green form twinkled and vanished. "I will expect good news in the future, then." He told Reala in a threatening tone.

"Leave it to me, Master Wizeman." Reala said, bowing respectfully.

**Author's Note:**

**I hope you enjoyed the boss fight! Also, I want to thank my dad for the rhyme from before. It's kind of his own spin on the song, he used it back in elementary school and it's been stuck in my head for years! Review, please!**


	27. Chapter 26

**CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX**

Falling…falling…but this time she wasn't half as scared as she had been before. Landing expertly back at the path just outside the Dream Gate, Helen walked towards Owl, who was calmly waiting by…

A…

TREASURE CHEST! Ooooh!

Helen immediately ran over to it. It was quite large and thick, and was royal blue, with gold trimmings. Reaching out, she opened it up, and was rewarded to see…

A beautiful golden mask. It had a red crystal at the top, with big blue "eyes" that sparkled happily. "Ooh, what is it?" Helen asked as NiGHTS floated over to her and Owl "hoo-hooed" in amusement.

"It's the Dolphin Persona! It lets me turn into a dolphin! I'd show you now, but…well, the fountain's still empty." NiGHTS said sadly, turning her head to look at the still-dry Fountain of Dreams.f

"Oh, that reminds me…I've got some Blue Chips leftover!" Helen said, tossing them into the fountain. As they hit the bottom, they broke apart, turning into crystalline water that sloshed around. The fountain now had SOME water in it, but it wasn't even two inches worth.

_Don't worry, you'll get more eventually! _They heard the narrator say. _Now then, the next door to Nightopia is open!  
_

"It's true, dear Visitor." Owl said happily. "The realm of Crystal Castle awaits you." He gestured at a door that had appeared to the left of the door to Aqua Garden. Helen looked it up and down as she approached the door, and then opened it up carefully. She felt beautiful, warm light bathe over her, and then…

…

…

…

…she was greeted by one of the most beautiful sights she would ever see. It was an enormous palace in a land of towering buttes. The palace had thousands of windows on every single wall, all glittering in the sun. The grass was soft and cuddly in form, and looked like a big rug of light orange. There were cute little purple flowers scattered around, shimmering waterfalls streaming down into beautiful little ponds and above all…the land itself…

The land itself, the rising butes, the structure that was holding up the castle…was made of crystal with shimmered. A faint musical hum filled the air as the wind brushed against the crystalline glass of the windows. And of course, a row of gigantic diamond crystals lined up and down the palace like a royal pathway. The trees were in fall season, the leaves red and orange and yellow, always a pretty natural sight.

"The place…it's so pretty, but…it looks so sad, too!" Helen thought out loud in a quiet voice.

Then NiGHTS came swooping down, giving her a melodramatic bow. "Hello Helen! Welcome to the World of Glass, Crystal Castle!"

Helen laughed. "Ha-ha! Why the funny mask?"

It was a nice mask of gold, with a pretty little blue feather at the top and a little red crystal in the middle. NiGHTS laughed and took it off. "Ha-ha-ha! Oh, it's nothing really." Putting it in her pocket, she twirled around, then looked at Helen. "Come on, let's go check it out!"

She began floating forward, and Helen followed after her, looking around. "You know…I would think that everything made in a world of glass would be very fragile." Helen mused.

NiGHTS stopped in mid-air and turned around, hands on hips, tilting her head to the side. "Didn't Owl tell you?" She asked gently.

A blank stare told NiGHTS all she needed to know. NiGHTS gestured at the world arofund them as she rose up higher. "Nightopia is a world that mirrors the heart of a Visitor!" She explained. She smiled warmly at Helen. "That means it was YOUR heart that created this place, Helen!"

Helen looked around at the world, then placed her hand over her heart. "My heart…is fragile?" She asked. She didn't ask NiGHTS, nor the world…but herself. Did this mean that she was weak? Suddenly Helen felt an urge to cry rise in her.

Then something happened that REALLY took her mind off of her heart. A cry from NiGHTS.

"YOU!" NiGHTS shouted as the Bird Riders descended around her. Luckily there were only two…

Wait, TWO? But there were always-

Suddenly another one swept in behind NiGHTS, blocking Helen from helping her. She reached out for her, calling "NiGHTS" to warn her…

Too late. Within moments the threesome had grabbed NiGHTS and placed the jester in another magical cage just like before. Laughing, all three of the Bird Riders took off while NiGHTS looked down at Helen, waiting…

She could worry about her heart later. NiGHTS needed help NOW!

She climbed up the golden chain and broke NiGHTS out. The two then floated down to the ground.

"We need to find those birds." NiGHTS said. "A Nightmaren running free around here is a bad idea!"

Then it happened. There was a "craaaawwhhh" sound coming from directly behind them. NiGHTS turned around and saw all three of the Bird Riders advancing.

"Oh no…they're _**organized!**_"

Hissing, hissing, hissing!

"**RUN!**" NiGHTS screamed.

…

…

…

…Somebody far away was playing a piano in Crystal Palace. Owl floated over to that form as it continued to plink away at the keyboard. The tune was VERY familiar…in fact…

"That sounds like the tune NiGHTS likes to play." Owl commented.

"That's because it IS the tune." The narrator explained. "This place just…makes me sad." He sighed and stopped playing the piano, standing up and pushing away from the gigantic black and white beauty. "A narrator often finds himself empathizing with the charges he must look after, and well…I'm a bleeding heart. I can feel Helen's sadness and it's resonating with my own."

He looked out the window and gently placed his hand against it. "…I miss my girlfriend. I miss my buddies back in the world I was in not so long ago. I miss…I miss my family."

Owl was quiet for a few moments. Then he spoke.

"It can be a hard task, being a narrator…but you have done well so far. I am certain that the Night Dimension will reward you for your continued kindness towards Helen."

Suddenly the narrator's eyes went wide. He could feel a chill rising in him. "A Nightmaren General is coming! She's TRICKY too…I have to warn them!"

He concentrated and snapped his fingers, and the window before him vanished. He flew outside, at NiGHTS and Helen, who were happily bobbing up and down, holding hands, doing the "we did it" dance, overjoyed at their latest victory over the Bird Riders.

"Hang on guys!" He shouted. "We've got company!"

"Hang on guys, we've you company"!" A nasty, shrill voice mocked as the world around them turned dark and red…and then everything swirled together in a blend of dark colors. NiGHTS, Helen and the narrator opened their eyes and gasped at the sight that now greeted their eyes…

A moon was hovering in the night over a large room that had no roof. There was a gnarled tree rising up through it. The room was large and red, with a big table that had a large cauldron in the center, with some strange concoction bubbling inside. There were creepy stained glass windows of Halloween-style colors on the walls, and there, floating above the cauldron…

A green-skinned, big-nosed, yellow-eyed with. She had legs that were so short her dress totally covered them in such a manner that she seemed to just float there in midair. Her hat and dress seemed to be made of cobwebs, and she was grinning evilly.

"Well, well, my pretties, what have we here?"

"Another one that talks to itself? Oh boy. Another Clawz." NiGHTS moaned.

"Oh, Clawz? You should know of him…he's the daddy of my pretties, yes he is!"

Helen blinked. "Daddy?"

"Yes! Now watch my magic! HA-HA-HA-HA!" Bomamba rose up into the air, then thrust her hands down, summoning a strange triangle-shaped table of some sort…it had large holes in the middle and little hurdles placed here and there, like some sort of…

"That looks like one of those games where you have to get the ball in the little holes!" Helen remarked. "Oh, I used to love those games!"

"Well do you like cats?" The witch asked. "Because I have PLENTY! Come out, my pretties!"

She suddenly stretched her arms wide, and purple/black cats with big yellow eyes popped their heads out from her dress, mewling and meowing all at the same time.

"ACHOO!" The narrator sneezed. "Too…many…cats!"

"You're ALLERGIC?" NiGHTS asked. "Oh my."

"Please doh rub id ib." The youth said, rubbing his nose as he pleaded. "Id embaradding."

"Even IF you destroy me, my magic will keep you here forever! You'll have to play a game…get all my kitties into the holes!" The witch explained, pointing downward.

"So your cats are the source of your magic, huh? Fine, we can deal with you, right Helen?" NiGHTS asked. "Let's go!"

The two held hands and dualized, rising into the air as the kitties dropped down, revealing strange, stick-like bodies that bent back and forth like snakes…weiiiird. The narrator vanished with an "ah-CHOOOO" while NiGHTS smirked.

"Let's do this…"

NiGHTS swooped down to the "tip" end of the thing and began to push forward. He was quickly rewarded with a "ROWR" sound, followed by a "woosh" and a "plop" as the kitten bounced off the cauldron's edge and fell to the table, unconcoius.

"Now I feel bad about hurting widdle kitties!" NiGHTS remarked.

_Don't feel guilt-AAACHOOOO! And look out! Bomamba's not playing fair!  
_

"Bom-AAA!" NiGHTS and Helen ducked back as Bomamba tossed some greenish/blue haze at them. It sizzled through the air and reeked of brimstone.

"Stand still!" She cackled.

_I'll stall her!_

The narrator promptly re-appeared, downed some Sudafed in a single gulp, then tugged on the witch's hat, blinding her. Smiling, NiGHTS and Helen dove back down to another tip and began easing the now-hissing kitties towards the holes.

"ROWR!"

"RAARRWWW!"

"ROOOWWW!"

Down they went! Unfortunately the narrator suddenly took the opportunity to sneeze again, and that moment of weakness cost him. Bomamba whacked him back and glared at the girl…

"Wait…you un-dualized? Where's NiGHTS?"

"Here." NiGHTS said, holding the last cat up by the scruff of it's neck over the hole. "Now let us out of this creepy place or I drop it in!" She demanded.

"AAA! Not my pretty-pretty! Alright, alright!" Bomamba gasped. "I'll…I'll let you go."

She snapped her fingers, and NiGHTS, the narrator and Helen found themselves "bounced" back to Crystal Palace. Bomamba swooped down and grabbed the cat away from NiGHTS, hissing.

"I'll be back!" She insisted before she vanished in a deep haze of blue and green.

"We'll be waiting." NiGHTS said.

"Yeah, you…you ugly old hag!" Helen shouted after her.

"Ooh! Kitty's got claws!" The narrator laughed.

NiGHTS immediately whacked him over the head. "OW! I was joking! JOKING!"


	28. Chapter 27

**CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN**

"Ahhh…"

Helen took a deep breath of the crystal-clear air of Crystal Palace, the World of Glass. "It smells so wonderful and crisp." She complimented.

"Hoo-hoo! Hello again, dear visitor!" Owl remarked happily as he soared down to her. She had been making her way towards one of the many beautiful waterfalls that were scattered around Crystal Palace. "If you're looking for NiGHTS, he should be by soon. As for the narrator…"

Owl calmly floated out of her vision and she saw that the narrator was lying on his back, hands behind his head as he hovered in the air underneath a waterfall.

"Greetings…young…one…I…am…Kwai Chang Nick…Shaolin…preist…in-training…" The narrator spoke in a deliberate imitation of a wise Eastern follower of martial arts.

Owl rolled his eyes. "You are a **card**, you are, my boy." He remarked, waving a feather in the air dissaprovingly.

"Old one…perhaps…you can help." Nick continued in that "wise old monk" voice. "I meditate…so that I…may find…the answer…to the question…if the tiger…eats…the lotus blossom…is his breath…as bad…as yours?"

TEN MINUTES LATER…

"This…is why Shaolin priests know kung fu." The kid muttered.

"THAT will teach you to respect your elders!" Owl howled, waving a fist/wing at the narrator as the youth limped off, covered in very sharp-pointed red marks that indicated intense pecking.

…

…

…

…That lovable purple jester that was NiGHTS floated through the World of Glass, over a bunch of small bridges that were leading to a hedge maze. She looked around, gazing at the clouds, when suddenly she heard a familiar "wooorp…woooorp" noise that indicated…

"Huh? What's Octopaw doing here?" NiGHTS wondered, rubbing the back of her head. Then she shrugged. "Ah well…I think I'll have a little fun! Here I come, Octopaw, ready or not!

Helen looked around. Where was NiGHTS?

"You're not worried, are you Helen?" Owl asked. "Dear visitor, you always seem so…preoccupied."

"I've been thinking about my mother. I…I kind of miss her now." She admitted. "Her and my friends…"

"Tell me about your life back home." Owl offered, sitting down on a park bench with her.

"Well…" Helen began, twirling her ponytail slightly. "My friends and I are always going out shopping…going to see movies…talking about…well, you know…boys…" She admitted shyly. Owl quite wisely said nothing. "My friends always know how to have a good time. Shelly and Marie have been my best friends for three years now and I'm very popular at school because they encouraged me to be more open." She went on. "They like music a lot too, though I like classical music more than the pop they listen to."

"You enjoy classical music? Ahh…a girl with taste!" Owl remarked happily. "Tell me…what instrument do you play?"

"Violin." Helen said. "Sometimes people say it's too old-fashioned, but it's not, REALLY…I like playing it!...though…not as much as…I used to." She admitted quietly.

Owl was quiet for a few moments. Then…

_Would you like to hear some classical music? _The narrator asked from above.

"Oh…could I?" Helen requested, eyes brightening.

The narrator re-appeared by a piano, wearing a black leisure suit and a fancy cap. "All right then! It's been kind of a while since I played for an audience, but…I'll try anyhow. "

The narrator stretched out his fingers, then proceeded to play a relaxing tune that reminded Helen of playing on the swing set at her school. She closed her eyes and leaned back, allowing memories to fill her head as a peaceful feeling filled her…and she drifted off into a peaceful slumber.

…

…

…

…NiGHTS swooped down to the park bench and smiled at the sight. Helen had fallen asleep and was curled up, a small smile on her face. NiGHTS gently picked her up and hovered through an open window of Crystal Castle, placing her on a bed before she hovered over to the door. She turned around once.

"Good night, Helen." She said gently before closing the door.

**Author's Note:**

**This chapter was developed for…well, some character development. To show some common interaction and also…to show NiGHTS's more gentle, nurturing side…after all, NiGHTS IS a reflection of the Visitor…the next chapter will have more action...and will have Will! **


	29. Chapter 28

**CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT**

…

…

…!

…time…to…wake up!

Helen yawned and re-opened her eyes. She was in a big, beautiful bedroom with light blue wallpaper that had clouds painted on it…and the bed was soft and had pink sheets. Hopping out of it, she headed out the door and down the hallway, going deeper and deeper into the castle…

And deeper…

And deeper…

And deeper. And THEN…

She found herself in a hallway with many brick walls surrounding her. It was vaguely ominous, but she kept walking towards a set of double doors that had one door open. As she turned to look inside the room…

There was a boy there! He was wearing a teal and orange vest with two large pockets on the front and a red t-shirt with a khaki longsleeve undershirt underneath. He wore a dark khaki pair of cargo shorts and blue sneakers with yellow waves on the sides, and he had blond hair and blue eyes. He was really rather cute…

But Helen was nervous. She quickly flattened herself against the other door and called out from behind it.

"Hey…um…do you…live here?" She called out. "You're the first human being I'VE seen in this world!" She called out.

The boy shook his head. "No, I…I was sent here from another world!"

Another world? Her world?

"Something awful has happened to my friend and it's all my fault!" The boy said, sounding like he was on the verge of tears. "I've got to hurry and get back to my own world!" He begged.

"Your…friend?" She asked gently.

"Yes…he's waiting for me to help him! If I could just find the door…I would be able to get back!" The boy insisted.

Helen stepped into the room, making herself visible. The boy turned around to look at her as she spoke. "The door? I know where that is! That's how **I** got here!" She said helpfully.

"Really? Then please, take me there! I don't want to be a pain, but I don't know anything about this place and-" The boy began nervously.

"Don't worry, I'll take you there!" Helen said happily. "This way, follow me!"

She turned around…

The door had been locked. "Oops." She said. "Well, we'll go this way." She said, pointing forward. "I know this place very well…" And she should have, because she created it. She and the boy ran through the hallways, up a set of red stairs to a strange maze-like area with shimmering walls blocking off regions to their right and forward. Helen walked around the frontal wall by taking a route to the left, but found the place oddly…quiet.

"Normally there's always music playing…" She remarked. "I can always hear classical music coming from the castle…why isn't anything playing?"

"It feels cold in here." The boy said. "It's like the time I got lost in the park once and the wind started to blow more strongly…"

They continued to wind their way around the maze, going past the shimmering walls and big glass mirrors. Along the way they found several chests filled with Blue Drops, which Helen pocketed along with the boy, knowing they were useful in fending off Nightmarens.

Then it happened.

"Woah!"

There, floating in the air before them and blocking their path was a turtle-like Nightmaren monster with an ocean-colored body and a big green shell. It snapped it's beak at them and began floating towards them, but the boy was quick and tossed one of the Blue Drops at it. It whacked the thing in the face and the Snortise was stunned, blinking stupidly. They ran past it and down the hallway, making a right turn.

"This place just goes on forever!" Helen complained as they continued to walk and walk and walk. "Oh, I wish that-"

"AAA!" The boy shouted as another Nightmaren popped out from behind a corner. It looked like…the Sea Horse Nightmarens were back!?

Helen tossed another Blue Chip at the horrid thing and stunned it. Quickly they ran past it and into a room that was oddly similar to the room that the boy had first appeared in…only there were even MORE Sea Horse-style Nightmaren.

"Ooh, I hate these things!" Helen said as she tossed the Blue Drops at them. "Go away, go away, go AWAY!" She yelled.

BOINK-BOINK-BOINK!

Three direct hits! All of the Nightmarens hit the ground, groaning. Another set of double doors opened up, leading into another maze. Helen and the boy ran through it, going past mirror after mirror after-

"Hey, we've been here before." The boy said nervously.

Helen blinked. "What? No, that can't be right." She muttered quietly.

"No, look, see? That one stone's got a big crack in it, we passed it already, remember?"

Helen gulped. They were going in circles. This was bad…this was very bad. She held her hands over her head and felt an urge to cry rising in her…

Then…

A beautiful sound reached her ears…a flute…NiGHTS…

She looked up and turned in the direction it was coming, walking slowly towards it with the boy following. Sure enough, she was rewarded…they'd reached another big room, and this time at the end of it, was a large stone staircase leading outside! But the gateway leading out was closed…

Suddenly Helen saw a way to reach it. Beautiful glass cubes were appearing, lining up…to a big, round switch that was at the top of the gate. Helen quickly leaped up on top of the cubes, one by one as the boy watched.

"Be careful!" He called out as she ran across the cubes and leapt at the switch…

FWIP!

The gate opened. Helen jumped down…

WA-WHOOMP!

She landed right on a trampoline that had conveniently appeared.

"Thank you, Mr. Narrator." She thought.

"That was…odd." The boy remarked.

Helen just smiled. "Nightopia's filled with all kinds of odd things!" She admitted. "I'm sort of used to it…well, a LITTLE used to it."

"I know what you mean." The boy admitted to her, nodding. "I've seen some strange things in Nightopia too."

With the gate opened, they were free! Helen led the boy outside of the strange crystalline building and into a field of flowers that were right in front of…TA DA! A Nightopian door!

"It's the door! Oh, thank you!" The boy said gratefully. "Now I can get back to my world!"

"No problem!" Helen said politely. "I hope your friend is alright!"

The boy nervously rubbed the top of his head. "Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot to introduce myself! I'm Will." He said, holding out his hand.

"Hello Will. I'm Helen!" Helen said cheerfully, shaking his hand. "Be careful out there, okay?" She added.

"I will! Thanks again, Helen!" Will said before he turned around and headed into the door…

Helen watched him leave and she smiled. She hoped they'd meet again…

Then she twirled around and started walking towards the sound of the flute that had guided her to safety…walking towards the sound of her friend.

**Author's Note:**

**Aw, don't you love how good friends are always there for one another? Review please! And if you haven't already, check out the story "Hope into Dreams" by ERiN OPPEL. She's a great writer. **


	30. Chapter 29

**CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE**

"That Will is a nice kid." The narrator said as he sipped an Icee. He was floating on a big inner tube in the middle of one of the World of Glass's waterfall-fed lakes. "His presence…it felt familiar." He added. "Like I know him from somewhere. Perhaps…"

"Perhaps what?" Helen asked as she and NiGHTS, dualized, hovered in midair.

"Well, I've done some reading." The narrator admitted. "Sometimes a world has…yin and yang…male and female, that sort of distinction. A world can have a parallel existence running so close to it you could reach out and touch it! Metaphorically speaking of course." He added again, raising his Icee up. "Perhaps Will is going through something similar to what YOU'RE going through…just an idea though."

He sipped his Icee again, taking a long SLUUUUUURP. Then suddenly he blinked. "Oh…that reminds me! Owl said he wanted me to tell you something. Apparently there's something going on at Jewel Mountain."

Helen blinked. "Jewel…Mountain?"

"Yes. It's apparently this huge mountain filled to the brim with precious gemstones." The narrator said. "The Nightopians are apparently mining over there and Owl said he was going to look after them. He wanted me to tell you that."

"Precious gemstones? Oh wow!" Helen gasped, holding her hands together, eyes going all sparkly. "Like rubies and diamonds and emeralds and sapphires and amethysts and pearls and-" With each mention of a gemstone, her voice got faster and faster!

"Woah! Hold on, Helen!" NiGHTS laughed. "Relax." She insisted. "We'll go there right now! Jewels are important here in the Night Dimension…they're great for focusing magic power, don'tcha know?" Then NiGHTS pointed at the narrator, at the necklace he had. "Is that little round thing around your neck a sapphire?" She asked.

The narrator looked down at it. "Oh, no it's a mood necklace!" He insisted. "My…my girlfriend gave it to me as a present." He added, nervously blushing.

"Well, let's get going, Helen!" NiGHTS said, flying through the air towards Jewel Mountain…

…

…

…

…the air around Jewel Mountain was hot and humid. You could feel your clothes sticking to you, damp and disgusting…well, for a normal person, anyhow. NiGHTS wasn't affected by it. The narrator, who had decided to come along, had BIG sweat patches on his back. He wiped his brow, moaning.

"Lord almighty, I feel my temperature risin'!" He proclaimed. "But at least we made it."

The mountain itself was a light brown thing that looked almost like a volcano, with a burning fire rising into the purplish sky…and there, embedded in the mountain, plain to see…beautiful gemstones, sparkling gently. The nicest-looking ones were light blue in color and rare in number. It was getting close to sunset, so the effect of the setting sun against the glowing mountain that looked so much like a torch was…sort of beautiful.

"So this is Jewel Mountain." NiGHTS said. "The place with all the jewels old Owl was talking about-what the?" NiGHTS tilted her dualized head and heard the sounds of frightened Nightopians coming their way…and sure enough, a horde of them dove past NiGHTS, with Owl flying after them, all blustery and frightened.

"Oh no…the whole place is shaking!" Helen gasped. And there was a rumbling. "What is that sound?"

"Hoo! Hoo-hoo! Oh dear! It's awful! Just AWFUL!" He gasped. "The Nightmarens have angered the Jewel Mountain!"

KRA-KOOOOM! The mountain let loose a fiery belch into the air as it erupted slightly. Letting out a cry, Helen tucked up into a ball, covering her ears. Owl looked her over, a rather disappointed and incredulous expression on his face.

"Wh-WHAT? Are you…FRIGHTENED?" He asked.

"Of course not!" NiGHTS said defensively, quickly getting back up and putting her hands on her hips, head tilted away slightly as she pouted. "It's Helen doing it, not me!" She muttered.

"Ah yes, er, well be that as it may, we must get those jewels!" Owl said, flying in front of the two.

"Why?" Helen asked, looking confused.

"The forces of Nightmare are making the mountain erupt in order to obtain the jewels that it spouts forth! And did you not see the light blue jewels there? Those glimmer with the light of an Ideya! They're PART of your Ideya!" He told Helen. "And if they are lost…then so is your world."

"Come on Helen!" NiGHTS said, clenching her fist. "We've got to get those jewels before they do!" She insisted.

"…OKAY!" Helen said, nodding. "We can do this!"

They flew off at the mountain, which began to spit out large balls of fire that whizzed through the air, barely missing them. But then…

A beautiful, melodic sound issued forth. Helen looked up and saw clear-cut gemstones of red and purple falling from the sky…with a single, rounded blue gem falling among them.

_Don't let them touch the ground! Those things are fragile! If they break…they're lost to you!_

"Right!" Helen said, diving through the air and snatching them in a single go. She and NiGHTS then did a U-Turn and dove at another small batch of gems, riding on their back through the air as they caught them one at a time.

Owl and the Nightopians were carrying a large basket. It took Owl some effort to lift it up, but he was doing surprisingly well. Floating over to them, NiGHTS and Helen dropped the collected jewels in, just in time to hear a LARGE tinkling noise fill their ears. A large ring of gems was falling down.

"This is fun!" Helen admitted as she dodged a few more fireballs and, arms outstretched, snatch the gems one at a time, tossing them behind her into the basket. FWOOP! Nothing but net!

"I think we've gotten 32 so far…"

FWIP! FWIP!

"33!"

Soon the mountain showed signs of slowing. Fewer and fewer jewels were being tossed out, and it spluttered and coughed…at last, it belched out one final blue jewel, and Helen caught it on her foot, then tossed it into the air, grabbing it with her hand.

"I did it, NiGHTS!" She said happily. "How many did we catch, Owl?"

Owl and the Nightopians began rummaging through the basket which they had now placed upon the ground. "Hmm…HMM…oh my! 124! AMAZING, Helen, AMAZING!" He said, clapping his wings. "Well done, dear visitor, well DONE!"

…

…

…

…all those pieces of Ideya gathered in one place…

It was time for her to make a move…

She cackled to the moon as her darlings eagerly mewed amongst themselves. It was time…

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

**Boss battle comin' up! NiGHTS and Helen take on the rotten witch Bomamba in another annoying battle...and the witch doesn't play fair. Can they conquer her and obtain Helen's Blue Ideya? Review, folks!**


	31. Chapter 30

**CHAPTER THIRTY**

"Mr. Narrator? Mr. Narrator where are you?"

Helen continued to call out, looking for the narrator. She had a question she wanted to ask of him. But he didn't seem to be anywhere around the Dream Gate…

"Hey."

Helen looked up and into the trees and saw the narrator was sitting there and looking…sad.

"Hi Helen." He remarked. "What's up?"

"I wanted to ask you something." She told him. "You said that necklace was a gift from your girlfriend?" She wanted to know. "How do…how do you know if…"

"If you're in love, is that the question you're thinking of?" The youth asked. "How do you know if you're in love?" He smiled. "Worry about friendship first when it comes to others. Love finds it's way to you if you're willing to love others and let them into your heart. That's how I met my girlfriend."

Helen noticed there was something…different about the narrator. He had been getting a little more…melancholy. He didn't do much besides hang around or play on the piano. Maybe her world was affecting him?

"NiGHTS is waiting for you in Crystal Palace." The narrator told her. "You'd best get going."

Nodding, Helen went back to the door that led to Crystal Palace and opened it up, allowing warm light to flood her vision…

…

…

…

…Helen and NiGHTS had re-dualized and were now floating in the air, overlooking Crystal Palace. A feeling of serenity had settled upon it…it felt more natural than it did before, as if the fragility had been made into a strength somehow.

But there was a chill in the air. An unmistakable chill that was followed by horrid cackling.

"I should have figured you'd come back for more, Bomamba!" NiGHTS called out as he felt the Nightmaren General get closer and closer. "Stop sneaking around and come out!" She proclaimed, clenching her fist. "We're not afraid of you!"

"You will be…" Bomamba laughed, calling forth a cloud of darkness to swallow up NiGHTS and Helen. "You…will…be!"

…

…

…

…the darkness parted, revealing that Bomamba had transported them back to that freakish open-roofed house in the middle of a dark forest. The moon glittered in the sky as Helen looked down at the strange table that had been there before…now there were fewer holes, and most noticeably of all, the kitties were dancing around on top of Bomamba's wide-brimmed hat, "rowring" as they bounced from one spot to another in perfect sync. It was creepy, to say the least.

"I've had enough of cats." NiGHTS admitted as he soared around the room, dodging some sickly-green magic blasts that Bomamba sent flying at her and Helen. "I'm tired of them always trying to kill me. And I used to like cats!" He complained.

"Really? I couldn't tell from the way your treated my beloved Clawz!" Bomamba hissed, shaking her green fist at her.

"Oh that's so wrong!" NiGHTS remarked as the cats began smoothly moving along the table. She then noticed something she hadn't seen before…Bomamba…had a TAIL.

"…that...is just...wrong." She said simply, sticking her tongue out.

WOOMF! One of the cats went down the pit on it's own accord as it was busy leering at NiGHTS and not paying attention to where it was sliding. NiGHTS laughed and dove down at the directional guide-post at the table, tugging to the right and pulling some cats toward a hole. Unfortunately she wasn't able to get more than one in before Bomamba tossed another blast of magic at her.

"Stay still!" The witch hissed as NiGHTS flew through the air, diving at another post and tugging to the left, pulling yet another cat into the hole. Three down…six to go. This…might take a while.

"Stay still? That's a gas. Sorry but I think I'll pass!" NiGHTS rhymed as she paralopped through the air, dodging another attack as she reached yet another post, moving it and the table forward. This time she got TWO in one go! ROWR! Down they went!

"My pretty-pretties! Nooo!" Bomamba hissed, holding both her hands up, all aglow with magic power. She tossed magical bolts at NiGHTS and Helen, who were barely able to dodge in time. The dualized partners reached another post and tugged, but just as another cat tipped in Bomamba's magic hit them and they went sailing through the air, hitting the wall. Bomamba laughed hysterically at this…

"Hey, Bomamba!" A voice yelled from above. She looked up. "The terror alert in your armpits has been raised to "orange"!" The narrator insulted. "That's right! I said it, I said it, I stole my momma's credit!"

Bomamba didn't appreciate this insult. She hissed and began swiping at him…like, well, a cat! He continued to insult her by swirling a piece of string above her head, snickering as he did so…but Helen suddenly saw Bomamba's hand glowing and before the narrator could stop her, he was struck hard by a magic blast and sent flying. Bomamba grinned in triumph…

Then let out a horrid wail as the table below her vanished, revealing a murky fate: death by cauldron goop. She plopped inside, vanishing as the narrator groaned and stood back up, floating over to NiGHTS and Helen.

"Sorry, I'm…I'm off my game…" He said quietly.

"Why did that witch have a tail? And who was Clawz?" Helen asked.

NiGHTS sighed. "Well, remember how I told you about Gulpo and Gullwing? They weren't the only NIghtmarens I fought…there was also Clawz…originally he'd been a good pet of Ree's, and I had been loathe to fight him…especially since back then I liked cats…"

…

…

…

…Elliot, Claris and NiGHTS floated around a strange room that had large openings in the walls. There were little train tracks all around them and a small central platform in the middle. There was a large, glowing, light-like battery that powered small trains that were shaped like mice around the tracks. These tracks and the platform were all far above a dark abyss that seemed to have no end, and there, grinning at them, clinging to train tracks ABOVE their heads on the ceiling was a cat.

It had unusually long arms, almost like a monkey's, and shark's fins on it's back. It had black eyes with yellow pupils, slit in an evil fashion, and grinned, showing off golden teeth. It had a dark blue/black body with red markings all over, and red claws. It calmly dropped itself into the middle of the room, on the platform, tail leisurely going back and forth.

"It's not smart…to take on Master Wizeman…NiGHTS." He said calmly. His voice was unmistakably catlike, there was a vague whininess to it, but also a subtle undertone of cruelty and keen intelligence. NiGHTS frowned. Before, Clawz had been as gentle as a kitty, now he seemed so…pitiless.

"Wizeman must be desperate if he thinks you can stop me." NiGHTS told the cat. .

"I'm not much of a cat person anyway!" Elliot said.

"Aw, I think he's kind of cute!" Claris insisted.

"How sweet. I think I'll keep that one.'" Clawz remarked, licking his claws in a perverse fashion. "Me and my beloved could use an extra so we can finally fulfill our desires of having a-"

Before he could get into details and permanently scar the kids, NiGHTS dove at him. Grinning, Clawz leapt back with the agility of his kind and snapped his fingers. Instantly the trains shot themselves along the tracks…heading for NiGHTS…and they had FUSES on them that were counting away the seconds!

NiGHTS swung and dived and ducked, dodging the mice-train-bombs as Clawz cackled over and over. "Stop this and fight me one on one, Clawz! What's the problem? Afraid I'll declaw you!?" She shouted.

"Oh come on, you know it's common for cats to play with their food before they kill it!" Clawz sneered.

"You're cruel!" NiGHTS shouted, dodging another train and twirling around.

"Oh please." Clawz laughed. "Occasionally we let the little scampering meal escape. How often does YOUR dinner get to run awa-"

Suddenly Clawz realized that while he'd been wagging his tongue, NiGHTS had been getting steadily closer. He scrambled madly, trying to run. "No, stay back! Stay back! You can't-"

She could. NiGHTS paralooped him…BA-BAM! With a final wail he was sent flying down, down the pit below the train tracks, vanishing into darkness…

…

…

…

…Helen smiled happily as a beautiful blue orb fell down from the sky, shining gently. The small pieces of Ideya she'd collected rose up, into the blue orb, and it swelled in size. Helen reached out and smiled as she felt comforting warmth enter her body…and intelligence and knowledge…

"The Blue Ideya, which governs intelligence…another lost piece of my heart's returned!" Helen said happily.

…

…

…

…Wizeman frowned angrily as Bomamba's quivering form hovered in the air before him, eyes wide with fear. Reala, on bended knee, watched with a sort of perverse mixture of fascination and fear as Wizeman spoke.

"As I suspected…" Wizeman said coldly. "A mere second-level Nightmaren like you could not stop NiGHTS." He told Bomamba, who gulped nervously before Wizeman. Reala's eyes went wide with horror as Bomamba fell into the dark abyss, black orbs eating away at her flesh and essence. Eventually there was nothing left.

Reala I raised his head. "A word if you will, Master Wizeman." Reala asked. "It is because of the visitor's red Ideya that-"

"SILENCE, Reala!" Wizeman shouted.

"Yes, master." Reala whispered, bowing his head again.

"We must not allow NiGHTS to get away with these…indiscretions." Wizeman remarked. "Now remind NiGHTS of his true allegiance or put an end to his freedom…and existence." He added coldly. "Go at once."

Reala nodded and bowed his head, placing one hand on his heart. "As you wish, master." He told Wizeman.

**Author's Note:**

**Those who have played NiGHTS, Journey of Dreams know firsthand that the Bomamba boss is one of the most ANNOYINGLY difficult boss battles in the history of boss battles! And above all, she's a freaky boss. I mean, she's a witch with cats that have stubby bodies and she has a TAIL. If I tried to talk any more about the relationship between her and Clawz I'd have to put "Warning: Furry Lovin'" on this story, or at least this chapter. In any case, hope you enjoyed it...and by all means, review! **


	32. Chapter 31

**CHAPTER THIRTY ONE**

Falling, falling, there they were! Right back at the Dream Gate. A proud-looking Owl hooted happily as he flew over to Helen and smiled. "Well done, well DONE, Helen! And there's a surprise for you." He added, turning to the right and gesturing at a chest. "It is something that you'll find quite useful!"

A familiar large chest was in front of the fountain, colored gold and blue. Opening it up, Helen was dazzled by a strange new golden mask with a big red gem in the center, and a long "top". How odd that somebody would wear something like THIS on them. But it WAS pretty!

"That little thing will allow NiGHTS to become a ROCKET." Owl said happily.

"Woosh!" NiGHTS said, flying overhead. "Wee! Ha-ha! But that's not the best news. The best news is that a new door's appeared to another part of your heart, Helen!" She touched down in front of Helen and Owl and gestured at a new door.

"_Yes, it's called…eh, "Memory Forest"." _The narrator spoke. His voice seemed more far away than normal.

"Are you feeling alright, Mr. Narrator?" Helen asked, concerned.

"_I'll be…alright."_ The narrator insisted. "_You go into Memory Forest and enjoy yourself!"_

Helen opened up the door, and she and NiGHTS entered the new Nightopian realm…

…

…

…

…it was perhaps the most lush forest that Helen had ever seen. A beautiful forest filled with green, filled with life…large tree trunks surrounded them, with big roots gently leading any that climbed them up into little buildings that had been carved into the trees. There were many natural paths all around, and a cool breeze blew. Above all…

"This place seems very familiar." Helen said as they walked around the forest. And it should…the place was made from her subconscious!

Before NiGHTS could comment,

Then, rising from a dark, black energy portal with an red rim, came Reala, who looked at them with a chilling smirk.

"You AGAIN?" NiGHTS asked. "Didn't you get enough LAST time?" She asked angrily, clenching her fist.

Reala raised his hands in a submissive gesture. "You can cut the act now, my dear sister." He stretched out one hand with those creepy long fingernails at NiGHTS. "You've done WELL in collecting the Ideya." He complimented.

"What are you talking about?" NiGHTS asked, tilting his head to the side in confusion.

Reala floated over to him, smiling broadly. "You've played your part exceedingly well!" He wrapped one arm around NiGHTS, raising an imaginary eyebrow. "The plan's one PERFECTLY! Without a single hitch!"

"Played your…part?" Helen asked, confused.

Reala turned his head to face her and grinned. "Why, NiGHTS's part in our plan to steal your Ideya from you! What else?" He then chuckled, his head bobbing up and down slightly. "He gains your trust, and when you least expect it…"

"Huh?" Helen gasped, stepping back.

"Helen, don't listen to these horrible lies!" NiGHTS insisted.

"_Lies_? Ha-ha!" Reala laughed at NiGHTS. "Let me ask you this, then sister…does little Helen know that you are a Nightmaren, like me?"

Helen's eyes went wide as saucers. Something SHUDDERED down in her heart.

"Wh-what? No, that can't be true! Because…NiGHTS has been helping me SAVE Nightopia! A Nigthmaren wouldn't do that!" Helen insisted, shaking her head.

NiGHTS looked away, closing her eyes in shame.

Reala crossed his arms, then chuckled, facing Helen again. "Is it so hard to believe, really?" He floated to Helen's side. "Well then, let me ask you this…have you, or have you not, seen NiGHTS ever wear a mask like mine?" He asked the girl, gesturing grandly at his mask.

Helen's eyes went wide. She drew in a sharp breath.

"This mask is called a "persona", and it is a symbol of loyalty towards Master Wizeman." Reala explained calmly.

Helen's lip quivered. Reala saw this change in emotion and began to float behind her. "you know then…don't you…" He crooned gently. "That what I am saying is true …" He began to float around Helen, trailing an dark energy trail in the ground around her as he continued to speak in that soft, almost kind voice. "Oh, poor, poor visitor…betrayed…by the one she thought was her friend…" He shook his head. "And now you're so…so alone." He remarked, drifting away.

"No…" Helen said, a tear streaming down her face. "It…it can't be…"

NiGHTS looked down, ashamed. "…Helen…" She said softly, regretfully.

"Now, this is farewell!" Reala said, smiling as he raised his hands, calling forth his magic. "Say goodbye, little Visitor!" He crowed. A shaft of light rose from the portal beneath her, and then Helen began to sink into the same sort of dark portal that Reala had rose from.

"Wh-what? AAA!" Helen screamed as she sank down into the abyss.

"HELEN!" NiGHTS screamed, reaching out to try and grab her…but it was too late. She hung her head in sorrow as Reala chuckled cruelly…

…

…

…

…darkness…then…

Beautiful, softly glowing light…almost like…

A carnival?

And a voice…

"Helen?"

Could it be?

"Helen?"

Helen slowly opened her blue eyes, blinking slowly. "You're…Will, aren't you?" She asked, rubbing her eyes as she looked the boy over.

"Helen, it's good to see you again!" Will said happily. "I had been thinking about you…what happened? Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm…I'm fine." Helen said quietly, sadly, looking around. "But…where are we?" She took in the pulsing lights and looked up at the tower that soared above her.

"This is MY dream world!" Will said with a touch of pride. "This time you wandered into MY world! Neat, huh?"

Helen blinked slowly, then her eyes widened. "Ah! That reddish burst of light from before…that must have been what sent me here!" She tried to stand up, but then fell right back onto her knees, crying out in pain.

"Are you hurt?" Will asked, immediately leaning down to help her up. "Can you stand up?"

"No, I'm…I'm alright, really!" Helen insisted shyly. "I think I must have just twisted my ankle, that's all." She explained, feeling rather…exposed.

"Well, take it easy then, okay? We'd better head back to the door." Will said, helping Helen stand back up. "It's time I repaid the favor and helped YOU head back to your world!"

"Thank you, Will." Helen said happily, nodding in appreciation. And together they walked down the path, towards a long strip of bridge that was suspended over a dark abyss…

…

…

…

…"There it is…there's the door!" Will said, pointing forward.

"Oh Will, thank you so much!" Helen said happily, bowing with a little curtsy. Then she looked away, sighing.

"What's the matter Helen? Is something wrong?" Will asked, concerned.

"Well…I dunno." Helen said quietly. "Somebody who…I thought was my friend…a GOOD friend. But…" She felt tears well up in her eyes. "I guess we weren't such good friends after all. So…I…I…"

"You need to believe in your friends, Helen!" Will said, stepping forward and taking her hand. "You said you were "good friends", right? Well you've got to believe in them! If you do believe in them, then your trust is sure to be proven. Maybe that's why you and I ran into each other again!" Will continued.

Helen rubbed her nose with one arm, then thought about it.

Believe in NiGHTS…

She'd believed in her before…and hadn't it always turned out alright?

"Well…thank you…I…" She took a deep breath. "I'll TRY to keep that trust. Because we ARE friends!" She said, her tone becoming happier.

"Yeah!" Will said, nodding.

Helen smiled and walked towards the door…then turned around again. "Thank you so much, Will. Do you think…" She paused. "We'll ever see each other again?"

"I'm sure we will!" Will said quickly, blushing slightly. "If you trust that we will!"

Helen's smile got wider. "You're right." She said, nodding. "I'm SURE we will!"

"See you later, Helen!" Will said, waving goodbye as Helen walked through the door.

"Okay! See you!" Helen said, waving back.

…

…

…

…"Helen, you're alright!" Owl said as Helen re-appeared in the Dream Gate.

"Yes, I'm fine! Thanks to a boy from another world." Helen said.

"A boy?" Owl asked, looking confused. "You mean to say you've met ANOTHER Visitor?"

"Well…yes!" Helen said. "Is that…alright?"

Owl looked nervously around as he bobbed in the air. "Oh, well, you see, typically Visitors cannot encounter one another when in their respective worlds. This only happens in times of great danger, such as when NiGHTS was paired with Elliot and Claris. Though…" Owl plopped down on the ground and rubbed his chin as he walked around in a circle. "Since a Visitor's memory fades away upon waking, this might not be an issue?"

"Wh-WHAT? My memory's going to go away?" Helen asked.

"There are more important things at stake!" Owl said, puffing up in her face. "NiGHTS is in danger! Reala imprisoned her in the realm of a Nightmaren General who is awaiting an escort…she'll be taken to Nightmare and destroyed if you don't do something!"

"Don't worry!" Helen said, running towards the door to Memory Forest. "**I won't let that happen!**" She shouted. "NiGHTS is my friend!"

Light flooded her eyes…

…

…

…

…NiGHTS squirmed around in the cocoon she was in, trying to break free. She had been rudely tied to a large tree and now sighed. This setting was so…creepy. A dark pink/red sky with gnarled trees, haunted buildings rising up all around…they were on the farthest edge of the forest.

If only Helen were here, then I would be able to break free. NiGHTS wondered.

"NiGHTS!"

Helen's voice rang out. NiGHTS looked up just in time to see Helen approaching. "NiGHTS, I don't care if you're a Nightmaren. You're still my friend and I've got to look after you!" She insisted. "Mr. Narrator…could you help me out a little?"

PLOP! A knife fell down and stuck in the ground nearby. Helen picked it up and began cutting through. "Thank you!" NiGHTS said happily. "I'm so glad you're here Helen. Say…wait. Narrator, why didn't YOU free me?"

_The truth is…I…I get weaker as you get stronger, Helen…_ The narrator admitted sadly. _You're becoming so brave…I can't do much for you now except warn you! _

"Warn?"

_She's coming! Get ready! _

NiGHTS held Helen's hand, and they dualized just in time…BA-BOOM! The form that had tied NiGHTS up made itself visible. She was a large spider dressed in royal regalia, with a beautiful golden crown atop her head, four pinkish eyes and large spikes instead of "feet" on the ends of her spindly legs. She had a very large web-sack that was all aglow with lights and large earrings. Weird…she was wearing earrings but had no ears! She clacked her mandibles and grinned at Helen and NiGHTS.

"Hey there, girly." She said, her voice sounding vaguely like somebody from New Orleans. "Y'all must be Helen. Name's Queen Bella! Come over here…lemme wrap you in the finest silk and give you the kiss o' eternal sleep…"

"Let's squish this spider." NiGHTS said.

"Ha-ha-ha! Too bad…you both got such beautiful baby blue eyes…it woulda been nice to see the tears in them as you begged…such a fiiine sight. Ah well, cest la vie." Queen Bella jumped on top of a round, grated platform that had another similar platform right below it. However there were…openings in the gratings. And below that…a fiery furnace. "This thang's what keeps my mojo goin'!" Queen Bella laughed. "Y'all gonna drop right in…so see you in the next world, honeys!"

She lifted up her web sack and shot out a large, circular ball of webbing that whizzed through the air at them. NiGHTS and Helen ducked underneath the grating as Queen Bella climbed on top, her spiky legs going "clickety-clack". "Y'all can't hide forever, baby blues!" She called out, shooting out another web ball. "They're SEEKING, y'know!"

True enough, they came whizzing around through the air, right at NiGHTS and Helen! But the two were ready, they paralooped around the ball, holding it in place…and launched it at the space above them, where Queen Bella was.

WHA-WHOMP!

She jumped away in time, but the grating was dissolved. NiGHTS and Helen moved out of the way as it bounced down…and hit the covering for the furnace, blowing away a chunk. That was it! That's how they'd beat her!

Queen Bella tossed out another web ball. Once more NiGHTS paralooped around it, then fired it off. She jumped away, cackling, but another chunk of grating fell. And then another, and another…

Queen Bella soon wasn't laughing. She was stranded on a final piece of grating over her own furnace. She gulped as NiGHTS raised the acidic web ball into the air, aiming at it.

"Uh…I didn't mean to hurt your or nothing? I was…jokin'?" She offered.

"Liar, liar, pants on fire!" NiGHTS said, kicking it at her.

FWOOMP!

Down she went with a loud "AWWWWW NOOOOOO"…and she vanished with a gigantic explosion of pink mist as NiGHTS and Helen breathed a sigh of relief and flew back towards Memory Forest.

Maybe now they could relax a little…

**Author's Note:  
Woo! Long chapter today. Hope you enjoyed it! It's important for Helen and Will to trust in NiGHTS, because from that trust comes the power of dualization! But Helen's adventures in Memory Forest are just beginning...**

**And of course, review please!**


	33. Chapter 32

**CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO**

"You…are…AMAZING!" The narrator said, laughing as he jumped up and down in front of them at the Dream Gate. "I'm so PROUD of you, Helen!"

"You're doing splendidly, SPLENDIDLY!" Owl agreed.

Helen blushed slightly. "Aw, thank you!" She said happily, bowing in a curtsy. She looked up at the narrator and frowned slightly in sorrow. "You're…you're pale."

She reached out to try and take his shoulder to comfort him, put her hand passed right through him!

"I feel so…exposed, telling yout his, but you deserve to know the truth. I'm slowly fading. As you increase in power, I lose my own strength. Soon I'll have no hold on this world at all I'll just…" He raised his hands and went "poof", demonstrating how he would leave the world.

"Wait…you'll die?" Helen asked sorrowfully.

"I'm not afraid of death." The narrator insisted. "I'll just…miss you…all of you. You're really something, you know? It's like I'm a camp counselor and you guys are the kids I'm in charge of looking after. I feel like I know you really well." He sighed and hung his head. "But I have other friends who need my help. When I go from THIS world, I'll be reconnected to the other world that awaits."

"Another world? The Real World?" NiGHTS asked.

"No, no, though the world has a kinship with yours, NiGHTS." The narrator said cheerfully. "So I'll be sure to tell them all about you when I see them. In the meantime, please enjoy yourselves!" He laughed happily. "You trounced Queen Bella, so you deserve to go out and have fun in Memory Forest!"

"Indeed. Memory Forest is aptly named. It's made from your memories, your past!" Owl said happily, bobbing around Helen. "It's a clear sign of the Ideya's power! It must be somewhere in the forest, waiting for you to find it!"

"Then I will! Take care, Nick! I'll see you soon!" Helen said, going with NiGHTS into the door. The narrator waved goodbye, then sighed as he slowly walked up into the sky, vanishing like usual.

He couldn't even have somebody touch his shoulder.

…

…

…

… Helen looked around Memory Forest, gazing deep into it's dark depths. Nightopians played behind her, doing a leapfrog game.

"NIGHT!"

"OPIA!"

"NIGHT!"

"OPIA!"

Helen giggled slightly, but NiGHTS was preoccupied. "These woods are lonely, dark and deep…the enemy could be hiding just about ANYWHERE. Be on your toes, Helen!"

"These woods…these trees?" Helen thought out loud. "I think that my family came on a picnic here when I was younger!"

She could hear a faint music box playing, an old childhood tune that made her eyes mist over with memory. "Mom got our lunch ready…" She went on, gently stroking the leafy trunk of a tree as she spoke. "And I played hide and seek with Dad! And then we-"

"Helen! It's almost lunchtime!" Her mom called.

Helen turned around quickly. "Mom?" She whispered.

…nothing was there…

"…that's right." Helen muttered quietly. "This is Nightopia. Dream world created from my memories…alright NiGHTS, let's go!"

She turned around, only to find…she was gone!

"NiGHTS?" She called out. "Where are you?" She turned around again. "Hey! Where did you go?"

She walked down the path, towards a large well. She heard rippling noises coming from inside and looked in.

There, she saw her own face reflected in the water…but soon that face transformed into someone younger…eyes sparkling, a happy giggle in her laugh…

"_Coming, Mom! Coming, Dad!" Helen said as she raced down the steps to her parents. _

"_You're going to LOVE The Nutcracker." Her mother said as she picked young Helen up and twirled her around. "Now remember though…this is our first time taking you to the theater, so promise you'll be good?" _

"_I promise!"_

Helen looked up…the memory was gone. She blinked slowly, then kept walking along the path. The wind rustled, sending leaves floating through the air. Curious at the way they ducked and dipped, Helen followed them as they led her to a light post…

"_Mariaaa! I've just met a girl named Mariaaaa!" Helen sang as she twirled around the light post, imitating one of her favorite scenes from the play they'd just seen. _

"_That play's based off of Romeo and Juliet." Her mother said. "I still have my old copy back in the library at home…" _

"_Ooh, I know about that!" Helen said. "My teacher says I look like a blond Juliet and that I should go into theater one day!...though I'd much rather play the music they did, it was WONDERFUL! Mariaaaa!"_

She felt a tug at her feet and looked down…the street transformed back into a leaf-covered path as a Nightopian tugged at her pants leg. She was back in the forest once again.

"Yes?" She asked.

"Night! Night!" The little cherub said, pointing down the path and to the left. So THAT was where NiGHTS had gone! Patting the little thing on the head, Helen took off…

…

…

…

…NiGHTS floated around, over a set of plain, brown picnic tables, looking nervously at the ever-shifting leaves of the trees. It was so quiet, so…lonely.

She shivered, hugging herself. She wished that she knew where Helen was. Or Owl. Or heck, even that crazy narrator…

Or even-

NO! Don't think like that, NiGHTS thought to herself. Ree's not your friend anymore, he's not your BROTHER anymore! He stopped being that a long time ago.

…a very long time ago…

…

…

…

… "_**Ohhhh! IIII thought I'd save a rat in a well but I couldn't cuz no wings remain upon my body and I cannot swim because I'd get all stained and weeet! **__**I saw something in my dreams, constellations everywhere, but I don't remember them because I had to do my hair!"**_

_"ARRRGH!" NiGHTS groaned as she tugged her cap down, trying to cover her head completely so as to muffle the sound of Puffy's singing. Reala had plugged his non-existent ears with his fingers, Clawz was howling madly, Gulpo was deep at the bottom of the pond to escape the sound and Gullwing was rolling around on the ground, moaning "MAKE IT STOP" over and over._

_"STOP! PLEASE!" NiGHTS yelled. _

_Jackle couldn't hear a thing. He'd buried his head in the ground and his non-existent rump was sticking in the air. Puffy stopped, fuming as she crossed her arms._

"_I worked hard on that song!" She muttered angrily._

_"Liar!" Gulpo snickered, leaping out of the water to spit the word out. _

"_Have you talked to Wizeman lately? He doesn't even come out of his room except to eat or occasionally get some fresh air when he almost TUG him out." Ree spoke up._

_NiGHTS shook her head. "I wish he would, but unfortunately he's been kind of down lately. Maybe I should think of a present to get him…"  
_

_Jackle popped his head back up. He pointed into the sky. "Wizeman told me something important!"_

_They all leaned in._

_"…I forgot what it was, though."_

_They all groaned. Then…_

"_Hello." _

_There stood a giant, holding up a treasure chest in every single one of his many hands, a small smile on his face. "I made them all by myself!" He said, popping them open. "It's the 5__th__ anniversary of the day I made you all to keep me company, so I wanted to make you something to share my appreciation…"_

_Tiny little sparkles of different-colored light floated out, surrounding each one of his creations. NiGHTS suddenly felt something pop into her hand, though she couldn't feel it…and she held it to her lips._

_Hoo-hooo-hoooo…hoo-hooo-hoooo…_

"_It's a flute!"_

_"What a nice guitar!"_

_"I gots me a drum set!"_

_"I just love this whistle!"_

_"Cool, a bell!"_

_"Cymbals!"_

_"XYLOPHONE! WEE!"_

_Wizeman smiled. "I thought you'd like these invisible instruments…they're bonded to your psyches, your souls. I made them to fit your personalities! I've been working on them for the past month…sorry it took so long."_

_"You're the best, dad!" NiGHTS said happily._

…

…

…

…the best…

NiGHTS wiped her eyes. Had it really been that many years ago when she'd been friends with them? Family?

"This is the F-Chord. This is the G-Chord. This is the H-Chord…"

"I didn't there WERE H-Chords…"

"Rock and Roll is about rebellion!" Ree had insisted as he'd begun his first attempt at making a "theme song" for himself. After asking if the "H" stood for "Horrible" or "Horrendous" He'd broken it over Puffy's head, forcing Wizeman to make a new one AND forcing Ree to promise that he'd practice more silently in the future.

Then, bit by bit, Wizeman had stopped coming out of his room for a different reason. The former Visitor had begun to desire more. He had begun to desire Nightopia. And all of his creations had followed like ducks in a row…

Except NiGHTS, who had refused, encouraged by the shard of Red Ideya that had been planted in her soul…and of course, as a result of her "insurrection", she had been locked up until Elliot and Claris had freed her.

…she missed them. Not just her friends, but Elliot and Claris too…

…

…

…

…Helen calmly sat on the bench, head lowered, holding her hands. She was thinking…thinking about why she loved the violin.

Wasn't it because of her mother's influence? Or perhaps it was all those plays and movies…seeing her mother practice…hadn't that driven her to do it?

Could she do ANYTHING on her own? Or did she do things because others suggested it?

What about her time spent with her friends? Didn't she do things because THEY suggested it? When was the last time they'd done something SHE wanted to do?

Even going to the mall wasn't the same anymore. Before they'd actually shop…now for the most part, they'd just hang around.

_"I swear, all these 60, 70 year olds…they spend so much time here! It's too bad I have to wait 50 something years for my turn!"_

"_You have to let impulse rule your brain, Helen! BUY something! C'mon!"_

…I'm a tool, she thought quietly. My friends just use me. They pulled me away from my Mom…

I broke my Mom's trust…I can't trust my friends…

No…I can trust ONE friend…

NiGHTS…NIGHTS!

…

…

…

… "_Jackle?" _

_Jackle was playing Solitaire. Which meant he was playing against himself. And, to top this off, he was cheating against himself. Which made it a perfectly Jackle-like moment. _

"_Yep?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. _

"_Can I ask you something?" NiGHTS wondered, floating over to him as he sat in the library. She had a red Ideya shard embedded in her soul, but had no idea what it would do for her. _

_"Whatcha wanna know? If free will can exist with divine coordination? How many monkeys it would take to produce the Complete Works of William Shakespeare? Why there are army men up my nose?"_

_"…you don't have a nose."_

_"That's why it's such a pressing matter!" Jackle laughed._

"_Uh, actually, it's about Wizeman." NiGHTS said, fumbling with her hands. "He says that he created us and that everything he orders is for the best. I think it's wrong, but…" She frowned sadly. "But Ree says that there's no such thing as "right" or "wrong", "just" or "unjust"."_

_"Woah! Careful, he hates being called Ree now." Jackle warned her._

_"I just…I just don't know what to think." She said. "Nobody else is willing to talk to me."_

_"…well if you ask me, a man doesn't call a line crooked unless he knew what a straight line was. How can you compare what Wizeman orders us to do when you call the actions unjust? You feel wet when you fall into water, but you're not a fish like Gulpo, who wouldn't feel wet at all. By trying to prove that justice doesn't exist you find that you have to accept that the idea of justice makes sense. It's like this: if the universe has no meaning, you never would have found out it has no meaning, just as if there wasn't any light in the universe and therefore no creatures with any eyes, we would never know it was dark, because "dark" would be a word without meaning." Jackle explained._

_NiGHTS blinked her big blue eyes in amazement._

_"But hey, that's just me." The orange jester said, shrugging before he floated off through the air. _

"…_thank you." NiGHTS whispered silently, though she knew he couldn't hear her. _

…

…

…

…"…IGHTS! NIGHTS!"

NiGHTS looked up to see Helen come running towards her. The blond girl leapt up into the air and hugged her tightly. "Oh, I was so scared!" She admitted. "I got lost when we were separated…I'm so glad I found you!"

"…me too!" NiGHTS whispered happily, hugging her friend back. "Me too."

There was goodness in the world. And a small part of it was hugging her right now.

**Author's Note:  
I think this is a rather touching little chapter. I hope you liked it too! **


	34. Chapter 33

**CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE**

NiGHTS and Helen were dualized once again, and were flying through Memory Forest, when who should they see but a familiar, blue and winged octopus!

"Look, it's Octopaw!" NiGHTS remarked. "I know you're pretty good at flying by now, Helen…let's try and keep up with Octopaw! That is, if you can!" She laughed softly.

"I'll keep up!" Helen stated.

"Okay, let's DO it, then!" NiGHTS laughed as they soared after Octopaw, who had headed for a very large room that was hidden away in a big, hollow tree. Following through Octopaw's golden rings, they soon found themselves running around a HUGE, beautiful carousel!

There were many neon colors that lit up the walls, and the carousel itself had big red, white and blue flags hanging down the ends, with elaborate party scenes painted on its sides, depicting a beautiful carnival scene in which people were eating cotton candy, going on rides, looking at fire breathers, lions and clowns alike!

"This reminds me of when my Mother took me to the fair!" Helen spoke up.

"Oh, you went to the animal fair?" NiGHTS asked her.

"Yep! The birds and the beasts were there!" Helen laughed.

_**"The big baboon, in the light of the moon, was combing his silver hair!"**_ They sang out.

As NiGHTS and Helen flew through Octopaw's rings and around the carousel over and over, Helen laughed happily. She was having so much fun! Up ahead, they saw an entrance out of the carousel area and they flew towards it, finding themselves back on a natural pathway in the middle of the forest, and there was a switch before them.

Odd. Octopaw pressed it in his hurry to escape, and then Helen and NiGHTS gasped in awe as the forest turned dark, and there, before their eyes, beautiful tulips hung down, glowing electric blue as they slowly drifted back and forth in a gentle wind.

"Oooh!" Helen said, flying through the air and touching them. They felt so soft and sleek, like satin. As she passed under one, a Blue Drop fell out and Helen pocketed it. One by one they went in a line, passing under tulip after tulip…

Eventually, NiGHTS and Helen came to a stop at a lightpost, landing on the tippity-top. They were surprised to hear the narrator's voice call out to them.

_Guys, look at all the chips you've collected! Bring them to the fountain…I have a feeling something WONDERFUL will happen when it's filled up!_

…

…

…

…Helen had collected all the little blue drops she could, and she tossed them into the fountain. Before their eyes it slowly but surely filled to the brim with gushing, clear water, and NiGHTS happily dipped her hand in it, splashing at Owl, who coughed and spluttered, then engaged in his OWN little water war by splashing back at NiGHTS.

Helen, however, noticed somebody's face in the pool…that of a girl with pink hair and big, beautiful eyes. She reached out and touched the water…

WHOOP! Into the fountain she went! Owl and NiGHTS gasped as she disappeared before their eyes…and then…

THWOOMP! Out she came! Only now…she had pink hair that fell down around her shoulders, wearing an orange t-shirt and dark orange shorts, with pinkish/purple eyes.

"What on Earth?" She gasped. "I…I can feel somebody else's memories now…somebody named Claris Sinclair…"

NiGHTS's eyes widened and she flew over to Helen/Claris. "Claris? You can feel her memories?"

"Oh that's right, she was another Visitor like I was!" Helen spoke up. "Yes, I can feel her memories, apparently…she and Elliot are boyfriend and girlfriend now." Claris said, fiddling with one lock of hair that wasn't hers. "They're in college and share an apartment in Twin Seeds. They're very happy."

"That's it?" The jester asked, a look of anticipation and disappointment on his face.

"Most of it, yes…" Helen told her friend, nodding.

NiGHTS blinked slowly, then turned away, her body shaking slightly. Helen walked around to face her friend. "…NiGHTS?"

"…I'm…glad…she's…happy." NiGHTS whispered, turning her head back to show the faint traces of tears making their final leg down her cheek. "I just wish she would have…remembered me." She began to slowly float off, head hung.

"Oh, she DOES!" Helen said, clapping her hands.

NiGHTS turned her head, eyes going wide.

"She'll ALWAYS remember you!" Helen insisted.

"Come on, come on, back in the fountain you go." Owl said. "Change back to normal, there's Ideya to find!"

Helen slid back into the fountain while NiGHTS floated up to a nearby tree, looking at the moon.

"…thank you." He whispered to the stars…to his old friend. "Thank you."

…

…

…

…"NiGHTS? Is that you?"

"You thinking about NiGHTS?"

"…I think I just…felt NiGHTS…"

Claris Sinclair looked up at the starry sky as her boyfriend held her hand. Elliot looked preoccupied with entering the movie theater and didn't seem to think what Claris had just felt was real…

But she HAD heard her…she KNEW she had…

**Author's Note:**

**It's time you knew the truth. I wrote this chapter solely so I could have an excuse to use that "Baboon" line. ;)**


	35. Chapter 34

**CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR**

"Here we are!" Nick said as he led NiGHTS and Helen to their destination in the middle of the lush Memory Forest. It was a large, dome-like area with many seats facing it…in fact, it was a stage, a concert hall made of stone and leaves, as Nightopians fluttered around in the air, happily singing different songs. There were large circles of lines shooting around this hall area above them, looking like lines for sheet music.

"WOW! This concert hall is just like the one in MY town!" Helen remarked happily, twirling around happily. She clasped her hands together, and turned to face NiGHTS. "You play an invisible flute, right?"

"Correct! All Nightmarens have invisible instruments, and Nightopians can really hold a note." NiGHTS laughed.

"I play the violin." Helen told her. "I'm pretty good at it too!" She added, smiling happily. "I always wanted to play on a stage like this, just once…"

"Hoo-hoo!" Owl laughed, floating down from the sky. "Well now is your chance!"

"Huh?" Helen asked, turning her head.

"The concert's about to begin and YOU'RE the star performer!" Nick said, beaming. "We'd all love to hear you play!"

"Are you sure?" Helen asked, eyes filled with hope.

"Naturally we're sure, dear Visitor!" Owl said, nodding his head. "Of course! But this is no ordinary concert hall! You don't need instruments here…you can produce music by soaring through the sky!"

"Oh WOW!" Helen said, going giddy with anticipation. "Oh we MUST try it, NiGHTS?"

"Mmm…" NiGHTS frowned, then leaned back in the air, hands behind her head. "Nah! I think I'll pass!"

"Oh, I REALLY wish I'd brought my violin!" Helen remarked as the sound of a violin filled the air, making NiGHTS raise an eyebrow in interest as nostalgia filled Helen's eyes. "I'm going to perform a big recital with my mother, you know!" She told them all. "I've been practicing really hard to get ready for it..."

She stopped, head bowed slightly. "Well…maybe not as hard as I SHOULD…" She admitted quietly.

NiGHTS blinked, rubbing her chin a few times. Then she got up and bowed, holding up one hand. "Well then...shall we dualize?" She asked.

"What?" Helen asked.

"You said it was your dream to play on the stage, right?" NiGHTS asked. "So…let's go and make that dream come true!" She proclaimed.

Helen smiled warmly at her friend. "NiGHTS…thank you." She whispered.

She touched her hand…and they combined forms as light shot everywhere…

…

…

…

… "Here's how it works!" Owl said, flying up to the musical sheets in the sky as NiGHTS floated there in front of the score. "Touch the musical notes in the correct time as Nick leads the Nightopians down there!" Owl instructed. Nick was standing in the center of the concert hall, dressed up in a big black tuxedo, holding up his hands.

"Ready!" He announced as the Nightopians finished up the opening overture with their little instruments. "You super-psyched, Helen?" He asked, turning his head.

"You bet!" Helen proclaimed. And so, the concert began!

As Helen whizzed through the air, dualized with NiGHTS and touching the notes, little Nightopians who had come to watch the concert floated by on big balloons, humming along to the song as Nick sang in time with the beautiful music Helen and NiGHTS made.

_**I**__**n a dream I could see…you are not far away!  
Anytime, Anyplace…I can see your face!  
You are that special one, that I've been waiting for!  
and I hope you're looking for someone liiike me!**_

**_In my dreeeaaaams…I can hear you call on me!  
In the niiiight, everything's so sweet!  
In your eeeeyes…I feeeeel there's so much insiiiide!_**

"**EVERYBODY!" **Nick sang out.

_**In the nights! Dream delights!  
I want to see you standing theeere!  
In the nights! Dream delights!  
I've found someone who really caaa-aaares!  
In the nights! Dream delight;  
I want to see you smile agaaain!  
In the nights! Dream delight;  
You're the one I've waited foooor!**_

As Helen played the last note, the Nightopians went WILD with cheers and claps. Helen and NiGHTS soared down, undualizing as Owl clapped his wings, bursting at the seams with pride.

NiGHTS took a bow, then looked over at Helen, who was blushing nervously at the simply ENORMOUS crowd of Nightopians that were all bouncing up and down, cheering and clapping.

"Come on, Helen! It's all for you!" NiGHTS said. "YOU'RE the star today." She said gently.

Helen blushed nervously, and took a curtsy. The crowd cheered. Nick clapped eagerly as he slowly but surely vanished into the air…

This will be what it feels like to do the recital...Helen thought.

I'm going to make Mom proud!


	36. Chapter 35

**CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE**

Nick sighed sadly as another acorn fell through his transparent head. He was little better than a ghost now, which the squirrels of the forest were taking advantage of by making fun of his transparency. They'd dropped acorns, branches and other things through his specter-like form, and he'd long since given up trying to chase AFTER them. Helen and NiGHTS were together at the concert hall, with NiGHTS giving Helen a private performance.

Then it happened. He felt a terrible chill enter him and he gasped as he stood up.

"She's here! Oh no…" He gasped. "I've got to warn them!"

He concentrated, and he rose up on a star, flying into the sky. He only hoped he wouldn't be too late!

…

…

…

… "So you ALL have instruments?" Helen asked.

"Yep! They were presents." NiGHTS told Helen as they sat on the stage of the concert hall. "Back when…back when Wizeman wasn't so wicked."

"He's a horrid old monster, isn't he?" Helen asked.

"You've got **no** idea." NiGHTS agreed.

"Ooh, fo' SHAME! Insulting the master like that!" A voice called out.

NiGHTS and Helen jumped up. Helen gasped in fear as NiGHTS looked through the trees, seeing leaves fall down as something BIG jumped from branch to branch.

"YOU! Come out of hiding!"

"Why should I?" the voice called back as the wind picked up and a terrible chill filled the air. "I'm having LOTSA fun playing around with the girl's memories, y'know. Aw, how DESPERATE you are to have your friends think so highly of you…oh, and yo' poor, poor mother…" The voice crooned.

"Stop it!" Helen shouted tearfully.

"You've been messing with Helen's memories, haven't you?" NiGHTS demanded to know.

"As a matter of fact, I have." The voice laughed. "They're just playthings for my amusement, just like blondie is. Once I'm finished with my new toy, there ain't gonna BE much else to use her for…'cept lunch." She stated simply. "But it's not like she can be anything else besides a toy or a TOOL, right blondie?"

"You're the one making me think those thoughts! You rotten monster!" Helen cried out.

"We're not going to be scared by your stupid nightmares anymore, you overgrown pest!" NiGHTS shouted. "Come on, Bella!"

"QUEEN Bella!" Queen Bella smirked, suddenly dropping into the air on a silk thread, giving them a gaze that told them she was grinning. "And DON'T y'all forget it!"

She spun her body rapidly around as a cloud of darkness filled their vision…

…

…

…

…when the darkness cleared, they found themselves back at the same creepy area that they'd fought Queen Bella in before…with the twisted, dark pink sky, gnarled trees, wrecked buildings, and burning, open furnace. Queen Bella hung down on the web, slowly going down…down…

"What the? Is she TRYING to get burnt up?" Helen asked.

But then Queen Bella stopped, just a foot above the churning furnace, smirking at them with her mandibles and giving them a frighteningly confident glance. "If you think I'm afraid 'o death or YOU…y'all gots another thing comin'!" She laughed as she spiraled back up, then landed on the top center of the metallic platform above the furnace. "Let's settle this, girls!"

"Careful guys!" They heard the narrator call out as he raced through the air, body almost intangible as his star soared alongside the dualized NiGHTS and Helen. "Don't get too close to the furnace!"

"Stay outta this, kid!" Queen Bella called out, shooting out a wad of silk at him. It passed right through him though, and he smirked.

"HA! Being like this has ONE perk…"

THA-WHOOM!

A pillar of fire arose from the furnace. Nick gasped and shot back instinctively, gaping. "YIKES! Sorry, that was scary!"

THWOOMP, THWOOMP! Queen Bella shot out more balls of silk through the air, which followed after NiGHTS and Helen, who tried to shoot them away. Occasionally one of them would barely nick their legs, but then…

THA-BAM! One of the balls they shot hit a part of the metal structure, and Queen Bella looked down through the large hole that was before her, watching as NiGHTS and Helen waved cheekily at her.

"Ooh!!" She growled, shaking her body with anger as she launched another web ball. NiGHTS paralooped around this one too, and sent it flying at the metal structure. Queen Bella jumped back, barely missing. Unfortunately she was soon running out of ring structure to stand on, since NiGHTS and Helen were quickly learning her tricks!

"Oh you…you can't win against me!" She insisted. "I'm Queen Bella! It ain't possible!" She gasped as she found herself on the last patch of metal left that was above the roaring furnace.

"Oh, it's VERY possible." NiGHTS said.

"You're finished!" Helen stated.

"No, wait, mercy!" Queen Bella begged. "I promise, I'll be good!"

Helen looked her over, then turned around. "Alright, then let us out of this nightmare place you conjured up if you're serious!"

THA-WHOOMP!

Helen and NiGHTS were forcibly undualized by a sudden web ball that hit them over the head. A moment later, two strands of silk shot out, tugging them over to Queen Bella, who smiled cruelly.

"Aw, whoever said I was serious? What DO they feed you humans? Gullible soup?" She asked, snickering. She carefully lowered her head towards the frightened Helen, looking deep into her eyes. "Too bad…you're kinda cute. It's almost a shame you'll be rendered comatose once I'm finished with you…"

"You shall not harm her!"

Who should appear of all people but OWL? He whizzed through the air and STRUCK Queen Bella with a full-on body slam, and she went flying, letting go of NiGHTS and Helen…

And SPLOOSH! Sinking into the furnace. Helen looked away, closing her eyes as the Nightmaren's shrieks slowly were muffled…

"…I'm so glad I came here in time!" Owl huffed out as he freed Helen and NiGHTS from their bonds. "Helen my dear, are you alright?"

"…no, I'm not, I…I don't like having to…to…" Helen spoke quietly.

"Helen, I know how you feel." NiGHTS admitted softly, folding her arms. "Remember how Reala is my sibling? I…fought him before and…and…"

She lowered her head sadly. "I destroyed him, but he was reborn when Wizeman came to life once more. Wizeman always could "trust" my brother to work for him…I had thought Ree would have fought back against Wizeman's control, but I was wrong...and I learned the hard way that he no longer saw me as a sibling…"

…

…

…

…the dualized Elliot, Claris and NiGHTS found themselves in a big area that had torches with blue flames floating in midair around a large throne of Red. Reala stood there, no mask upon his face, wearing clawed, yellow gloves and an outfit of red, purple and white. He looked very ghastly and frightening, and his dark eyes peered at NiGHTS and the visitors. There was a ring of rocks all around the purple area that Reala was sitting in the middle of on his tall throne, and a blue ring with flashing lights above them.

"Like it?" Reala asked calmly. "I made this place just for you…a big coliseum for our final battle!" He crowed as a big red face insignia floated above the throne. "Master Wizeman will be quite pleased."

"Ree, it's not too late." NiGHTS insisted. "Come on. You can fight this. Don't make me fight you too. I defeated all the others…"

"Yes…but they didn't have the power I did…and you do not either, you TRAITOR!" Reala growled.

"I'm your SISTER, Ree! I don't want to fight you!" NiGHTS begged.

"My name…is REALA!" Reala whispered softly, dangerously. He rose up. "Now then…ready to run, NiGHTS?"

That was all the warning the purple jester's former brother gave her. He rushed through the air, claws ready to tear her to shreds. NiGHTS felt a flash of sorrow fill her, then she quickly dove to the side, twirling through the air as she and Reala did a twisted "dance macabre".

Up, down, left, right…and Reala wouldn't listen to reason.

"Don't make me do this!" NiGHTS insisted.

"You don't get it, do you?" Reala asked, a big smirk on his face. "You're too soft-hearted NiGHTS…you just don't have it in you to kill your big brother…I, on the other hand, have no such weakness!"

He slashed his claws, managing to score a strike on NiGHTS' chest.

"NiGHTS!" Claris shouted.

"Don't give into him!" Elliot insisted.

"You can beat him! He's not your brother anymore!" Claris went on as NiGHTS flew back up into the air.

"Yeah, the "Ree" you know wouldn't act like that!" Elliot agreed. "You told us all about it, remember?"

"Oh come on, NiGHTS! I was always better than you at this!" Reala laughed as he dove down at NiGHTS, grabbing her leg…

BA-WHOOM! He was kicked through the air, and then found himself trapped as NiGHTS paralooped around him. "You WERE better than me!" NiGHTS shouted, blasting Reala through the sky as he screamed…

THA-WHOOOM!

His body was alit with light as he gave out a gasp and he began to dissolve into nothingness. His last words were "…NiGHTS…why?" before he was finally gone…

…

…

…

…Helen was glad to find herself facing a beautiful green orb…and she knew what it was.

"The Green Ideya, a symbol of wisdom and growth!" Helen realized. "It represents my future…nurtured by my memories!"


	37. Chapter 36

**CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX**

Helen found herself daintily falling down to the Dream Gate, where Owl and NiGHTS were looking over a big chest that was placed in front of the fountain.

"For you!" Nick said, bowing.

"Thank you, Mr. Narrator…wait…where are you?" Helen asked.

"Oh, I'm pretty much just a voice now." Nick said, trying to sound optimistic. "I'm cool with it though. Now open up the chest! It's a nice new Persona for you to check out!"

Helen opened up the chest and found a golden mask, slender in form with "horns" and teal "eyes" over the cover.

"That's…that's the Dragon Persona, it will help the wearer fly against the toughest winds!" NiGHTS said.

"I wonder what you look like as a dragon." Helen wondered.

Then…shining light appeared, raining down at the end of the Dream Gate and forming a large double set of stairs. Owl hooted happily.

"Ooh-hoo-hoo-hoo! It's been MILLENIA since these stairs have appeared!" He told Helen. "Though time goes faster in OUR world than yours, it's still an amazing feat! It must be due to your beating that awful Queen Bella!"

"Come on Helen, let's go check out what's at the top!" NiGHTS said.

Owl sighed sadly. "It seems your ideya is close at hand, Helen… I regret that…I will have to say goodbye to you soon, for I've grown very fond of you." He admitted.

Helen hugged the old bird. "Thank you for everything, Owl." She told him happily. The owl blinked, then hugged her back.

"Take care, little visitor." Owl said gently. "No go, go, I'm sure your ideya's at the top of the steps…" He told her.

But when NiGHTS and Helen reached the top…nothing was there.

"What? How odd!" NiGHTS commented.

Then it happened. An earthquake shook the whole area, and Helen fell to the ground with a cry. Turning around, NiGHTS gasped at the reason for the earthquake…the dark god Wizeman!

"Fools! You think to defy a GOD!?" Wizeman growled.

"WIZEMAN!" NiGHTS shouted.

"**Th-that's** Wizeman?" Helen whimpered at the sight of the many-handed, masked being who's eye-imprinted hands glared down at NiGHTS.

"Your infantile disobedience stops here, NiGHTS." Wizeman said coldly. "Now you will know my WRATH!"

His eye-hands all shot out, clenching for a moment before suddenly opening wide, sending out great beams of dark, purple energy that whizzed through the air. Screaming, Helen curled up into a ball as NiGHTS shielded her eyes…

Then they turned around and saw, in horror, that the Dream Gate was falling into the dark abyss below in large chunks.

"Owl, Nick, NO!" Helen screamed.

"Wizeman! How **could** you!?" NiGHTS gasped, horrified at her "father's" cruelty.

"Have you not yet learned to _**hold your tongue**_?!" Wizeman snarled, grabbing NiGHTS in one of his mighty hands. The purple jester squirmed around uselessly, unable to break free.

"NiGHTS!" Helen called out, rushing forward as Wizeman raised her friend up into the air.

"You leave me no choice but to remove your consciousness and replace it with another." Wizeman spoke.

"Wh-WHAT?!" NiGHTS shouted, eyes going wide with fear. Helen gulped in shock.

"And as for YOU, visitor…" Wizeman went on, looking down at Helen…and another…

"Huh?" Helen whimpered. She looked very pitiful. Most would have felt some twinge of sympathy for such a small, frightened girl, but Wizeman had long since lost his kindness and felt no remorse for what he was going to do…

"Continue your search for your Ideya amongst the whirling sea of darkness…FOREVER!" Wizeman proclaimed, reaching out with one hand and grabbing her, holding her up along with NiGHTS.

Helen struggled, but she was even weaker than NiGHTS was, and Wizeman's laughter echoed in her very soul as he sank down into a dark cloud. The last thing she heard before all went dark was a familiar voice crying her and NiGHTS's names out…

"You MONSTER!" NiGHTS shouted as Wizeman casually tossed her into the Dark Ocean. "YOU MONSTEERRRRR!!"

…

…

…

…Yet even as she fell, Helen's heart was wide awake…and she would not given in to the darkness so easily!

_Mum…I'm sorry…but I finally understand…_

_I realize what's most important to me!_

_And I KNOW that there are some things that just CANNOT be replaced!  
_

_Mum…__please__…_

_Please give me the courage…__**to protect what's important!**_

The light all around her like a nebula being born, with rays of red light shooting out like sunbeams from her body. She could hear a beautiful flute…just like NiGHTS's flute…and she pirouetted, spiraling into the air…

She found herself flying above Bellbridge, as chunks of building floated around like a giant's stepping stones. Little black clouds hovered around, and the city was sleeping below, it's windows lit up in the night as a harvest moon shone gently. Helen could see a glowing blue light before her…

She rushed towards it, spiraling around like he'd felt NiGHTS do so many times, arms out, feeling familiar push of wind in her hair, and she grabbed ahold of the blue light and pushed it forward, and it shot through the air, rushing through Blue Drops that whizzed toward her, filling him with hope and energy.

Helen saw a Bird Rider flying far ahead…and where THEY were, that meant NiGHTS was surely nearby! Helen quickly raced after it, flying through a loop of gold rings around an ominous floating building. It was a sad attempt on Wizeman's part to frighten her, to remind this girl that she was alone, that Bellbridge and the rest of the world belong to HIM, the "god"…

But he was nothing more than a bully, and Helen wasn't frightened of him anymore! She shot around the building just as she saw the blue light from before strike it…and it burst into balloons of a thousand colors.

She continued to chase Bird Rider as the balloons flew up into the sky and sailed through golden rings as fireworks rose up around her, exploding into beautiful green and white light.

"Are you watching me, mum? If only you could see how well I'm doing!"

Racing forward, she grabbed the Bird Rider's Tail, tugging him back.

"Where's NiGHTS?" She insisted.

"D-d-down there, he knows!" The Bird Rider gasped out, pointing downwards through a dark cloud. Helen spun the Bird Rider around and around, then let him go like a shot put, and he sailed through the air into another floating building, making it explode into more balloons. Helen then sailed downward through the dark cloud, which made him think of Wizeman…

But she hadn't come this far to be stopped by a cloud. She tore the cloud apart by shooting through it, and was rewarded to see the city of Bellbridge all lit up below. Soaring downward, ducking she flew across the famous Bellbridge Tower Clock Face, seeing another Bird Rider coming close to her. She was on him in an instant, grabbing him just above a skyscraper and demanding to know where NiGHTS was.

"I don't know where she is!" The Bird Rider insisted. "Wizeman locked her away, NiGHTS is over there!" He squawked out, pointing to the west. Helen nodded and raced through the air in the direction he'd pointed…

Then something frightening happened. All of the city just…STOPPED. All traffic, all motion, all movement…and the lights went out one block at a time. Wizeman's wicked laughter filled the air…

Suddenly Helen heard somebody shout her name…and she turned her head to see Will!

But then they both froze, a nameless fear gripping them. Their Red Ideya suddenly rose out from their chests into the sky as Wizeman's laughter grew louder and louder. They fell down into the dark abyss that had once been a city, screaming…

But then they stopped falling and looked at each other. No. NO. They would not lose. Not now! They could do this!

"Come on, Helen!" Will said, taking her hand.

"Yes…let's do this!" Helen insisted.

The two let out a cry together, and beautiful golden light surrounded them as their red ideya were forcibly yanked back into their bodies and Helen thought back to that beautiful song they'd performed…

_**In the nights! Dream delights!  
I want to see you standing theeere!  
In the nights! Dream delights!  
I've found someone who really caaa-aaares!  
In the nights! Dream delight;  
I want to see you smile agaaain!  
In the nights! Dream delight;  
You're the one I've waited foooor!**_

They soared up into the air as light filled the city once again in a beautiful, sweeping wave, and tiny specks of snow floated all around them. Will turned to Helen.

"I can feel it…this snow." He said. "It's so cool…and soft…I always loved playing in the snow…"

"Then…let's let it be a sign of our friendship." Helen said, getting an idea. "As long as snow falls…" She held out her hand. "It'll remind us of our friendship…and of the great times we've had in the Night Dimension! It's just like the dust that falls down from when NiGHTS paraloops…"

"You're right…it IS just like that." Will said, holding a snowflake in his palm. "Alright…let's go get him back!"

The two of them soared through the air, towards the gigantic clock tower where a large, circular padlock had been erected, blocking all intruders from approaching it. At the front was another key-wielding Bird Rider…

But naturally, he stood no chance against Will and Helen. In an instant, they'd broken open the lock, and it fell to pieces, revealing none other than…

"NiGHTS!" They both shouted.


	38. Chapter 37

**CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN**

The purple-capped jester was tied up in golden chains, his persona mask had been forced upon his head and he hung limply in his bonds, unable to move. Luckily Helen and Will quickly removed the chains from him. Even more luckily, they came apart easily!

NiGHTS fell to the floor below, groaning. She finally managed to get to her feet. "It's okay…don't worry about me!" She insisted. She rubbed her head, then turned to both of them, a gentle smile appearing on her face. "Thanks you two…"

Then they heard it. The bell was ringing! And a dark cloud of small black dots were creeping towards them through the air, covering the city. NiGHTS got into a fighting position, eyes aglow. "Wizeman is coming…it's time!" She turned to the children. "Get ready!"

The black cloud swept around them and they were whisked through the air…

…

…

…

…a frightening, dark purple abyss that slowly churned beneath them…this was the Dark Sea that Wizeman the Visitor had become lost in so long ago. Red lights the color of blood danced about in the background like a sick Aurora Borealis of some sort. Stone columns rose up, smooth and sleek, to form a formidable temple. In the center-back region of the temple was a large stone that was almost like something from a Celtic ritual, with golden lamps that held light blue flames, and an insignia like a sun was held up from the top of the rock, with a throne just beneath it.

Will and Helen looked around, a little bit frightened and in awe of the place, but NiGHTS just put his hands on his hips, looking bored. Then they realized why. First, she'd been there many times and two…somebody else was here!

"NiGHTS…I am dismayed at your continued insolence." Wizeman said, rising up from the abyss in all his dark glory. "If only you had obeyed my will and accepted a new soul, at least your body could have lived on." He remarked in a casual tone, acting as though NiGHTS was just…

"_**Shut up, Wizeman**_!" NiGHTS shouted back, taking off her persona. She tossed it to the ground and it bounced against the solidified Dark Sea a few times before coming to a halt. "We're NOT your puppets! No matter what you think, we CAN do things on our own!" She insisted, holding one hand to her heart, and over the red crystal on her chest. "We won't be held back by anyone, because we HAVE free will!"

"I…do have free will!" Helen realized out loud, holding her hand over her heart. She understood it now…she didn't have to hang out with her friends because they coerced her into it or anything like that…and she didn't have to succeed in violin or do the recital because her mother wanted her to…she could do it because she enjoyed it…and she would always be loved, no matter what.

Turning her head, she saw Will had realized it as well…she smiled at him, and they smiled at NiGHTS, stepping forward and nodding assertively. "You can't have our ideya, you big bully!" Helen said.

"You can't have our world either!" Will said. "Or the Night Dimension! We won't let you control ANYTHING or ANYONE!"

"Yeah, it's not your right!" Helen insisted, clenching her fist.

If he could have, Wizeman the Wicked would have raised an eyebrow. "Fools to the end…" He intoned. "That which I have created, I can just as easily destroy…" He sneered down at NiGHTS. "So be it…your fate is now sealed, my worthless creation…you and your little FRIENDS…"

_He's…not alone! None of them are!_

Wizeman looked around. "What…who said that?"

"**I** did!"

Floating above their heads, his form shimmering lightly, was the narrator. He turned to look at the others and gave them a two-fingered salute. "You can take him! Wizeman the D-Force Master is going down, and going down HARD!"

"Begone!" Wizeman snapped, lashing out with one hand. But his hand passed through the narrator, who laughed and laughed before vanishing from sight.

"He's right! We can win…let's go!" NiGHTS said, turning around to Helen and Will. He held out both hands. "Helen?"

A nod.

"Will?"

A nod.

The two reached out and took the jester's hand, then used their other hand to take each other's. Green, white, red and blue light swirled around them, filling them with purity, kindness, intelligence and knowledge, growth and wisdom…and above all, courage.

With a twinkling of dust, the two humans were transformed…now TWO NiGHTS stood before Wizeman, getting into a fighting position.

Wizeman's mouth betrayed the emotion of anger. He clenched his fists…then unfurled them, smirking. "I'll show you the power of a GOD." He bragged to them all in his smug tone. "Now…receive my judgment!"

He held up his hands, blowing them back quite some distance…but they soared back at him, not intent on giving up. However it wasn't going to be that easy…Wizeman raised his hands, chanting. "Sink into the darkness!" He commanded as he called forth wind and gravity, trying to crush them.

The winds tore at them…but then they felt another change come over them. Their bodies elongated, their skin becoming dark grey scales, their hands and feet grew claws and talons, and a long tail sprouted from behind. They transformed into a dragon, who's teal eyes gazed intently at Wizeman as it raced through the air, it's serpentine body easily maneuvering through the crushing winds. An unmistakable smirk appeared on both NiGHTS's faces. Was this the best he had?

"You're just my creation! You can't win." Wizeman insisted. "Now you will be swept away!"

BA-WHOOM! Their lungs became filled with water, they were going to drown in a dark ocean as tornados raced through the air to whip them into shreds…but then the transformation came naturally, they were now Dolphin NiGHTS, and they easily jumped over the tornados, swimming rapidly through the waters that Wizeman had summoned. Growling, he tried again, summoning another round of tornados. This time one of them clipped Helen, sending her reeling back…

But Will quickly reached out with his tail, and she grabbed ahold with her teeth. Ignoring the stinging pain, he flipped her over him, and they resumed their attack, rushing forward at Wizeman, who sent mighty boulders at them which swirled around in the tornados, threatening to pummel them to a pulp…but the two of them dodged, and rushed at Wizeman.

Wizeman erected a shimmering shield around him, a smirk on his face as the symbol for wind and water floated around his head, along with the symbols for electricity, gravity, fire and the other elements. "You cannot win." He told them. "Such foolishness…"

"It tickles!" NiGHTS laughed as they raced forward at Wizeman, sending him flying again. Wizeman growled once more, then raised his hands again.

"Now, suffer for me!" He growled, and a blinding flash of blue light blinded them…in an instant a dozen of the evil sorcerer/gods lined up in front of Will, Helen and NiGHTS.

"He's trying to trick us…don't get fooled!" NiGHTS insisted.

"We won't!" The two said right back. They transformed into Rocket NiGHTS, sailing around the fake Wizemans…aiming for the real one, the one who had the symbol of the elements circling around him. Infuriated, Wizeman laughed massive boulders at them, sending the rocks flying through the air to strike at the dualized threesome…but the rocket was quick and dodged them all…then rammed into Wizeman once more, sending him flying again.

"YOU…CANNOT BE THIS…STRONG!" Wizeman snarled, losing his composure. He called forth another crushing round of gale winds. "Sink into the darkness and despair!"

"So long, sucker!" Dragon NiGHTS laughed, slamming into him and tossing him through the air. Wizeman's body glowed golden as he let out a horrible howl of denial before…

BA-WOOOOOOOOM! Electricity crackled all around him before he exploded and a blinding flash of white light blinded them all.

…

…

…

…they found themselves un-dualized and back in the throne room, which was coming apart at the seams. A large, pulsating, glowing purple orb was all that remained of Wizeman. It sizzled with electricity and was silent for a few moments…but then it spoke in a voice that, although ominous, was that of an old man who was slowly fading away and unable to accept it.

"I…am…the creator of Nightmare…" Wizeman gasped out. Then he growled as he began to suck air into the dark orb he was. "Heed…my words. As long as darkness exists within the hearts of humans, then I…" He let out a gasp. "And the nightmares…shall never…be…destroyed!" In an instant, the swirling orb began to dissipate into blinding light that bathed over them…

And everything was silent.

…

…

…

…Helen awoke, blinking her eyes as birds chirped outside her window. She looked around her pink-walled room at her soft, pink bed, and then stretched her arms. Yawning slightly, she then moved to the side of the bed and looked down at a picture on her bedstand…

Her mother and her, carrying violins. Gently, she picked it up. "Mom…thank you." She thought to herself as she slid out of bed and picked up her violin case.

She had a recital to get to!

…

…

…

…the sun bathed down over Bellbridge Center Square as Mrs. Cartwright, dressed in a beautiful blue dress, looking around. She was standing in the front of City Hall where the recital was being held, and looking around…

Sometimes Helen missed practice to be with her friends, but they always dropped her off EVENTUALLY. Still, this wasn't practice, this was the recital, the big concert, and it began in fifteen minutes! Where was…

Panting, Helen ran up the steps to City Hall, and then looked up at her mother.

"Helen!" Her mother said in happy surprise, eyes widening.

Helen smiled, then undid the bow from her hair, letting her beautiful long blond hair fall down. In fact, she almost looked like…

…

…

…

…the bow went back and forth. The crowd listened eagerly within the concert hall as the beautiful pair played, one in a blue dress, one in a pink one, two forms fluidly stroking the bow as lovingly as Helen's mother stroked Helen's hair. Their instruments became a part of them…

And now a special part of the performance…it required true EMOTION to be seen, to be FELT through the violin. Mrs. Cartwright felt a twinge of nervousness enter her…could Helen do it?

The beautiful classical duet required that special surge of emotion…but it was no problem for Helen to allow that emotion to fill her as she finished up her part of the duet, for she could picture herself spinning through the Bellbridge sky, as the moon shone gently above her and the stars twinkled in the sky…

The crowd went wild…and Helen saw her friends cheering eagerly for her, jumping up and down. Smiling happily at them and bowing at the crowd, Helen then walked over to her mother and looked up with utter love at her before she held her mother's hand softly and felt it squeeze back gently.

…

…

…

… Slowly Helen returned to bed. What a busy day! But a good day. A very good day. As she slipped under the covers, Helen wondered…would he dream about NiGHTS? About Owl? About Will?

If only she could have said goodbye…

Then she heard a voice…

_Helen…Helen…_

Helen's head shot up slightly. Could it be?

_There's more to the story Helen…there's something you've forgotten…but don't worry…I plan to see you through to the end…_

And with that, sleep claimed her, as she fell into bed, still holding onto her music sheet book.

**Author's Note: **

**And so ends HELEN'S story! Now comes the final part…by all means, please review! **


	39. Chapter 38

**CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT**

After drifting back into the bliss of sleep, Helen and Will found themselves sitting back at the Dream Gate…

And there, between them, with Owl on one side and NiGHTS on the other, was the narrator.

"Hello Will." He said. "Hello Helen."

"Nick? Owl? NiGHTS?" They both said. Then they turned to each other.

"What's going on?" Helen asked.

"Yes, something's…_odd_ about all this!" Will agreed.

The narrator smiled. "I'll explain." He said, holding up a finger. "You see…NiGHTS is the center of this world…what your lovable purple jester does has a great effect on all of the Night Dimension…but more importantly, what a VISITOR does to the Night Dimension is even greater! Two of you entered the same dimension, sleeping at the same time, both of you having different yet similar desires to do good for the sake of those you love…both of you worried that you wouldn't be good enough."

Both of the kids felt nervousness enter them and they blushed. He was right.

"Because of this, all of the Night Dimension split in two…and NiGHTS and the others were split along with it! But when you two met together here at the Dream Gate, where the worlds can merge in the Night Dimension, the barriers came down. Where once was two, there is now one."

"So, because we both entered the Night Dimension at the same time…we both met NiGHTS?" Will asked.

"But which one is the real NiGHTS? Or Owl? Or that horrid Wizeman?" Helen asked.

"All of them are "real". When the Night Dimension split into parallels upon encountering you, it separated their souls into two different, but similar beings. You each experienced half an adventure…now you're living in the merged Night Dimension, and as a reward for your belief in yourselves and in your futures, I used my power as a Narrator and got you a little something." The narrator said. He blushed. "I'm kinda breaking the rules being THIS involved though…"

"Hoo-hoo! Oh, don't worry, dear Narrator!" Owl laughed. "I don't mind you doing it this time…you've never steered them wrong before…I think you've done a FINE job the first time around."

Blushing at this, the narrator stood up, then turned, pointing at the top of the stairs, where two glowing yellow orbs were.

"Look, it's the Ideya of Hope!" NiGHTS said. "Come on you two, let's go get it!"

"Hoo-hoo-hoo! You certainly deserve it." Owl said. "I must say it was odd having memories combined, but I feel I'm better off for having met the two of you."

"And I'm happy to see you two again!" NiGHTS said.

"Let's go get that Ideya!" The narrator said.

Nodding, our protagonists all headed up the stairs while NiGHTS flew ahead to the top. But before Helen and Will could reach the top where the narrator, Owl and NiGHTS were…

EARTHQUAKE!

"Oh NO!" Nick screamed.

"Not again!" Owl gasped.

"WIZEMAN!" NiGHTS growled as Wizeman's looming form appeared in the air above them.

"Fool! You cannot defy your creator!" Wizeman growled. "Try as you might, I am superior to you…"

"No way! They blew you up! TWICE!" The narrator shouted. "In the words of every good guy out there, will this jerk not DIE!?"

"You stay away from the Visitors!" Owl growled. "You have no right to-"

"Begone, pests." Wizeman snarled, flicking them through the air. He turned down and glared at NiGHTS. "If you refuse to bow to my will, then I have no use for you." He said coldly. "I shall take you mind, your consciousness, and create a new, more OBEDIENT servant!"

"WHAT?!" NiGHTS gasped as one hand raised up over him. Before he could do anything, the hand shot out a strong, solid beam of light purple light that struck through his body. Screaming, the purple jester was wracked with pain, and in a few moments the body hung limp in the air as Wizeman picked it up along with the Yellow Ideya.

"NiGHTS…no…" Will whispered.

"NiGHTS…you can't…" Helen murmured.

The pitiless Wizeman smirked coldly at the sorrow-filled Helen and Will, raising his other hands. "I consign you two to **oblivion**, along with this…EYESORE…of a world!" His hands sent out purple beams of light and before Helen or Will could do anything more than duck, the Dream Gate was obliterated into nothingness…

Racing up the steps, the only thing that remained, Helen and Will watched in horror as NiGHTS, still unconscious, was taken into a dark cloud along with their last Ideya.

"NIGHTS!" They screamed out.

Owl rushed up the stairs, gasping in pain as his body was racked with agony. "Are…are you alright?" He asked. "Don't worry, the Dream Gate will rebuild itself if you can defeat Wizeman…and you CAN defeat him! You MUST!"

"But…NiGHTS was…" Helen murmured.

"What can WE do?" Will asked softly.

"How can you talk like that! Think of NiGHTS and the narrator and how often your friends risked life and limb for you! All of Nightopia is doomed if you do not muster your courage!" Owl hooted.

Will and Helen looked at Owl…then at each other…and then at the dark abyss below.

And they jumped in.

_Dad…I understand now...I've been so concerned with looking up to you…that I didn't look at MYSELF! _Will thought.

_I'm sorry, Mum…I…always I've been doing is just running away from everything! _Helen thought quietly.

_Well…from now on…I WILL! I know that I can do this on my own! _Will resolved.

_But…I WON'T run away anymore! _Helen insisted to herself.

The two felt a familiar, warm pulse echo through their souls. It was time…time to end things! Time to stop Wizeman, save Nightopia, save their friend!

_My friends are all relying on me! I have to help them! _

_My dreams…my memories…_

_I'M GOING TO PROTECT IT ALL! _

**THA-WHOOOM!**

Helen and Will manifested right in the middle of Bellbridge, just outside of NiGHTS's prison tower. Quickly rushing to their friend, they removed the gold chains from around their friend's wrist.

"Boy, I'm getting déjà vu." Will said.

"We've done this before, we can do it again!" Helen remarked.

"Yeah!...though, it feels like we're forgetting something." Will thought out loud, scratching his head.

"Yeah, I…I sort of feel that way too!" Helen admitted.

The chains came off and NiGHTS came to the ground. NiGHTS stirred slightly, blinking beautiful blue eyes and slowly getting up.

"It's okay…don't worry about me!" He insisted. Boy, those chains were hard on your wrists, and so TACKY-

**"AAAAAA!"**

Too late did Helen and Will realize what…or rather WHOM they had forgotten. A horribly familiar black and red jester with a golden persona mask now had grabbed them by the necks and was holding them up.

"And just WHAT do you think you're doing, sneaking around here, NiGHTS? You shouldn't be out of your chains…" The purple jester's sibling asked NiGHTS calmly.

"Reala!" A clenching of fist, a terrible, vindictive glare. "You COWARD! Let them go!"

"Coward?" Reala asked, amusedly raising his eyebrows. "Moi?" He asked, almost sounding genuinely offended. "YOU'RE the puppet who can't **do** anything without **borrowing** power from Visitors!" He said, glancing at the struggling Helen and Will who were at the mercy of his pointed nails.

"Hah! YOU'RE the one who's a puppet!" NiGHTS proclaimed, taking off the persona Wizeman had "given" and tossing it to the side, where it skittered off the tower. "A puppet for WIZEMAN!" NiGHTS shouted.

"WHAT?!" Reala snarled, dropping the two Visitor's right on the clock tower floor, eyes narrowing in utter hatred.

"So…let's see which one of us is just a mere puppet then! You and me…" NiGHTS said, glaring at the former sibling. "One…on…one."

Reala laughed cruelly and pointed at NiGHTS. "Ha-ha-ha! You're on!" He smirked, clenching and unclenching his long-nailed hands in eagerness. "I'll make sure you're in no shape to get in my way…EVER AGAIN." He bragged.

With that, he then turned around and flew of the clock tower.

"NiGHTS…" The two visitors murmured. "Be careful!"

Their friend turned around gave them a thumbs up, smiling. "Don't worry…I can do it. Your bravery has given me courage too!"

"I'm here for you too!" The narrator said, appearing from a star that twinkled down to the clock tower. "I'll make sure Reala doesn't try any cheap tactics by using them as hostages!"

He flew out to the area around the clock tower, facing down Reala. "It's time." NiGHTS said. "I won't let you hurt my friends…even if we're siblings!"

"You can never be better than me, NiGHTS. You just got lucky last time!" Reala laughed. "And when this is over, I will take your "friends" and deliver their heads to Master Wizeman myself!"

"Here it is…" Nick whispered. "NiGHTS, Dream Warrior versus Reala, Perpetuator of a Tragic Revenge!"

Reala flung his hands into the air, summoning a star-like shape of swirling dark red, yellow and light purple that pulsed in the night sky above them. It's rounded tips sent out explosive balls of light purple/blue that whizzed down and around NiGHTS and Reala as they soared over Bellbridge, eyes gazing keenly at one another.

Reala swept too close to NiGHTS and swiped at his sibling, but missed, and even better for the purple jester, he accidentally collided with one of the balls, and it knocked off his head…

NiGHTS paralopped around it, then fired it straight off at Reala, who didn't dodge in time. He let out a painful grunt, then rose up into the air at the same time as NiGHTS, both heading for another orb. They continued to rise higher, higher…but unfortunately Reala reached the ball first, looping around it, then firing it at NiGHTS, who was blown back by the attack.

"NiGHTS, come on, you can do it!" Helen shouted.

"Show him what you've got!" Will insisted.

NiGHTS re-righted in midair and dove for another ball, paralooping around it and sending it flying…and Reala was right in the middle of paralooping a ball. He didn't have time to dodge it and the explosion almost knocked his boots off!

Growling angrily, he then dashed across the sky, aiming for the kids! But the narrator was NOT about to let him do that. Before Reala could get within ten feet of them, the narrator leapt forward and began to grapple with him in midair…

"You can't honestly think you're strong enough to hold me for long!" Reala laughed.

"Who said I had to hold you for "long"?" The narrator asked, raising an eyebrow.

The stalling was enough. NiGHTS sent another ball at him, and Nick shoved Reala at the ball as it came close enough. BA-BOOM! Reala went flying back through the air, growling.

"You little pest!" He growled. "You always interfere, don't you?"

"Yes! Yes, I do!" NiGHTS said in a "smarmy" fashion. The purple then drill-dashed right into Reala, sending him flying through the air again.

Reala re-righted himself in midair, muttering curses and giving very graphic discriptions of what he was going to do to NiGHTS and the visitors and that "stupid narrator" and that "bloody owl" once he'd won, but he was interrupted in mid-rant by a ball to the face, which burnt his eyes badly.

Howling, he clawed at his eyes, gasping in pain. He looked up…

BA-BAAAAAM!

A final explosive ball struck him…

The red jester's persona fell from his face as his body began to glow…he was vanishing…dying.

"NiGHTS…why?" He asked quietly. "How can…you…"

"Reala…why did you have to follow Wizeman?" NiGHTS asked softly, floating in front of the Nightmaren and holding him by his shoulders. "Why couldn't it just stay the way it used to be?"

"...I wanted…to make Wizeman happy…he made us. I thought that you leaving was odd, but…but…" He began to say. "But Wizeman, he-he…"

He grabbed his head. "His hands…glowing…eyes…all looking at me! _Don't look at me! Don't do it again! I'm your loyal servant! I **swear** it!!"_ He screamed in utter fear.

"What did Wizeman DO to you?" NiGHTS gasped, taking his hand. "Ree…tell me what happened…"

"Wizeman…said if I went after you he'd kill me…I was so afraid…I don't want to die, I don't want to be alone, I don't want…" Reala murmured, tears streaming softly down his pale cheeks. He no longer looked like a deadly Nightmaren general…he was a sad, scared clown.

"You're not alone." NiGHTS said, hugging him. "I'm always going to be your family."

"…NiGHTS…don't run…" Ree spoke. "Don't run from him…you can win. I…believe in you, I…" His voice seemed strained as he tried to get the words out…and come out they did, if only in a whisper. "I…_love_…"

And with that, his body vanished away into tiny specks of red light that floated into the sky. The narrator watched them vanish…and then looked down, closing his eyes in sorrow.

"…NiGHTS? Are you alright?" Helen asked as she and Will floated over.

"…no…but I will be…" NiGHTS admitted quietly. "We HAVE to defeat Wizeman!"

Then they heard it. The ringing of the bells of Bellbridge…and bit by bit, the world around them was turning dark, dissolving into dark specks of light.

"He knows we're here. Let's go." NiGHTS said, holding out his hands to the two visitors. "Helen? Will?"

They took NiGHTS's hand and the familiar feeling of dualizing took over, transforming them. Now TWO NiGHTS stood there, ready for action.

"Let's ride." The narrator said, floating over to them. "The last Ideya awaits!"

**It's almost over! The final showdown...the final night comes to a close! Review, please!**


	40. Chapter 39 and More!

**Author's Note:**

**This is a looong chapter. Just thought I'd warn you. I wanted to go out with a bang!**

**CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE**

Horribly familiar…

A dark ocean beneath them…a palace dedicated to a being that cared only for himself and his desires…a pitiless, horrible place that gave you the chills just being IN it.

But there was light…

Two yellow orbs of light were floating in the darkness before them…proof that they would be rewarded for having coming so far.

The narrator spoke up, pointing at the yellow orbs. "Look, it's the Yellow Ideya of Faith and Hope!" He exclaimed.

But then the light sank into the dark abyss…and what rose up was Wizeman the Wicked in all his dark glory.

"Faith? Hope?" A faint, horrid smile appeared on Wizeman the Wicked's masked face. "Fools like you are beyond hope! All that is left for you is despair and regret!"

"Just because your faith in finding your Ideya gave out quicker than most doesn't mean you have the right to be so cruel!" The narrator shouted.

"We're ready for you, Wizeman!" Both jesters shouted.

The many eyes of Wizeman the Wicked had a tint of amusement mixed in among the anger and irritation. "You seem most…_determined_…NiGHTS. Do you truly plan to sacrifice yourself to stop me?" His smirk grew bigger and more confident. "Nightmare is MY creation, remember? To destroy ME is to destroy everything that I have created! In short, if you destroy me…you shall destroy yourself as well…though…" He laughed coldly. "You had no problem with destroying your siblings and friends, didn't you?"

"NiGHTS…destroyed? No!" Helen thought.

"That can't be…it CAN'T!" Will thought.

"You did something to them!" NiGHTS shouted. "My friends and family would NEVER have done what you made them do normally! You threatened to murder Ree, he told me so before he died!"

Wizeman frowned in annoyance. "So he told you? He was always so afraid of death…of being alone…I gave him a _home_…"

"No, he would have had a home with me! He knew I cared for him! You took advantage of his fears and turned him into a **monster!**" NiGHTS yelled, clenching a fist.

"And I'll bet you took advantage of the others too!" Nick shouted.

Wizeman smirked again. "You two are both too clever for your own good! Yes, I did manipulate their hearts. Well…most of them. Jackle was annoyingly persistent. He found out you were leaving and tried to go join you. When I caught him and demanded his obedience he refused and insisted he wanted to go see you…so I had to **PUNISH **him." Wizeman laughed. "I think I MIGHT have broken his pathetic little mind in the long, long nights it took to break his will…"

"He…tried to go after me?" NiGHTS whispered, eyes wide with sad realization. "He wanted to try and _help_ me?"

"You drove him INSANE because he wanted to go join his friend? You ARE a monster! You're not longer even _remotely_ human!" Nick shouted angrily, eyes ablaze.

"Let's END this, Wizeman!" NiGHTS shouted. "I'm not afraid of dying!"

"Hmm…and what of your little Visitor friends? Did you account for THEM?" Wizeman asked, amused.

NiGHTS turned around in surprise to see…Helen and Will had separated from him, and…

Both were sobbing, tears falling down their cheeks.

"No…I **won't **let you die! Meeting you…has been the BEST thing that's ever happened to me! I CAN'T let you sacrifice yourself!" Will insisted.

"No! NIGHTS, **please** don't!" Helen begged. "If you do that, I'll never see you again! Please…you CAN'T…"

NiGHTS smiled and gently held their hands. They looked up.

"It's okay, guys…we need to protect your dreams! And no matter what happens…we'll be friends forever!" NiGHTS said happily.

"Remember that promise you two made? When you see snow, you'll think of your friendship?" The narrator asked. "Well when you see the snow, think of NiGHTS too…your friends, no matter who they are, where they are…they'll always be in your hearts." The narrator told them. "The snow will remind you of that."

"NiGHTS…" Helen murmured.

"NiGHTS…" Will whispered.

"Come on. Let's show him what our courage can do!" NiGHTS insisted.

The two Visitors looked at each other…the nodded…and took the jester and each other's hand…

…

…

…

…the light of dualizing had never been so strong! They faced down Wizeman, dualized and ready for action. Growling, Wizeman sent a blast at them as they raced up and around it, soaring higher…higher, it was time to fight!

"You cannot hope to defeat me!" Wizeman snarled as he raised his hands and they glowed. He sent swirling columns of water rushing at them as they transformed into Dolphins. "I will reign supreme over all worlds!"

Both of them smiled at each other, then dashed through the water that he'd called forth, sweeping through the holes between the mighty tornadoes he sent at them and rushing at Wizeman. They quickly re-transformed into normal, and drill-dashed, BASHING through the shield he summoned and sending him flying back.

"You little…YOU SHALL SUFFER FOR THAT!" He howled, raising his hands again and calling forth fireballs that whizzed through the air as he sent gale forces winds to tear their skin to shreds. Becoming Dragon NiGHTS, Will and Helen swooped around like kites, masterfully dodging the fireballs and cutting through the gale force wind. Before Wizeman could stop them, they were at his shield once more, and with another combined drill-dash, sent him flying.

"You…can't…be…doing this!" He gasped in fear as his hands glowed again. He'd been bleeding his power out for so long that he was getting weaker and weaker by the hour…and NiGHTS and the Visitors were chipping away at his strength. He called forth illusions of himself, trying to hide far away. They couldn't win, they COULDN'T…

A rocket blaring right at his face! **"NOOOOO!"**

BA-WHOOOMBAAAA!

…they **COULD**.

…

…

…

…The Two Visitors held the yellow orb in their arms, and it gently sank into their bodies, filling them with a sense of serenity they had thought had been lost forever. Their Ideya had all been returned.

But then…then they noticed that the palace around them was dissolving into little balls of light, just as Reala had. It was dying…and…

And NiGHTS was dissolving away too.

"NiGHTS…" Both Visitors whispered as the jester rose up into the air, his body shining.

"…Will…Helen…" NiGHTS bowed dramatically, one hand over the shard of Red Ideya that had so long ago been stuck to the jester's soul. "It's been wonderful…I will always remember you. And don't be sad…"

Little by little his body began to transform into white light…yet just before he vanished, they heard it…

"I'll come back with the snow…" He murmured as the light slowly sparkled around them like flecks of new snow.

"NIGHTS!" They both shouted, arms outstretched…

…

…

…

…sobbing, eyes filled with tears, Will and Helen awoke in their rooms. Will felt his tears drip down onto his soccer ball as Helen's tears plopped down gently onto her sheet music.

"Thank you, NiGHTS…" Helen whispered.

"NiGHTS…thank you…" Will softly sobbed.

Both of them looked up and out the window…they knew what day it was…

Time had reversed…they were once more facing big challenges today. A soccer championship…a fancy recital…

The ones they loved awaited them.

**EPILOGUE**

Helen led her mom to the concert hall at the park, the memories of Memory Forest's Sky Concert still clear in her head. She smiled eagerly at her mother, Violin in one hand.

"So what's this song you have to show me?" Her mother asked. "You said it was called…um…" She frowned. "It's on the tip of my tongue…"

"Dreams, Dreams!" Helen said, nodding her head as she sat her mother down. Both she and her mom were still in their outfits from the recital. The air was slightly nippy…but neither one seemed to mind. Helen got onto the stage, violin in hand. She bowed as she stood underneath the spotlight that was gently casting light down onto her golden hair, then drew the bowstring back and began to play.

The melody played itself, really…so simple, so elegant…

NiGHTS, if only you could see and hear me now!

…

…

…

…Will smiled at his friends as he kicked the soccer ball he'd brought from home down the sidewalk, his dad walking to the side as he chatted it up with his buddies and team mates.

"Good game!" Will said, grinning broadly to his friends. One held up a hand and he slapped him five. "NICE!"

"Sweet goal you made, man!"

"AMAZING shot!"

His dad smiled warmly at him. He was so proud of Will…

Then Will kicked the soccer ball again. It rolled along the ground, but then hit a rock and veered off to the right, going down a set of stairs. Quickly Will headed after it, and was able to catch it as it reached a large step.

Then he heard it…beautiful violin music…

The song…he'd heard that song before…it was NiGHTS's song!

His eyes went wide as he looked at the concert hall down in the park, and saw a somebody playing a violin there, with a blond-haired woman watching the whole thing, smiling happily, tears of joy in her eyes.

Will ran down the steps, but then it happened. The stage lights shut off in an instant! He gasped in surprise, Helen screamed in fright and covered her head…

…

…

…

…slowly but surely the Bellbridge Bell began to ring.

Helen was afraid to open her eyes…but then she heard somebody approach…and as she peeked her eyes open, she saw a familiar hand outstretched.

She opened her eyes fully and saw Will standing there…and just as he smiled, the lights returned, flooding the place with brilliance once more.

Helen smiled happily and reached out to take Will's hand, but just before she could, she felt something…cold…fall on her wrist. She looked down and gasped in surprise, and Will looked up.

**BGM: Memento of NiGHTS**

They soon found that beautiful snowflakes were falling down from the sky, one after another. Helen's mother let loose a sigh of relief as a man and two children comforted her, "It's alright, your daughter's just fine", "I was so frightened, how could they just go OUT like that!?"

Helen and Will found smiles appearing on their faces, getting wider…wider…and they began to laugh, and laugh…

Snow. Snow, falling in the middle of spring!

A miracle...truly, a miracle!

They knew then, their friendship would last forever…and they'd never forget NiGHTS, Owl, or the adventures they'd had.

The two giggled joyfully, looking at each other as the snow gently fell around them and a harvest moon shone in the night sky above…where tiny specks hovered in the clouds.

"It's time." The red one said. "Guess we'd best cross over."

"Ooh, I can't wait to see what's on the other side!" The orange one laughed, clapping his hands together.

"Do you think we'll see him again?" A fat, bunny-eared one asked.

"Something tells me he'll be fine!" The red one insisted. Then he looked over at the one with brown hair, a mood necklace lying flat upon his chest as he gazed down longingly at the children.

"Are you alright?" The orange one asked softly, no longer grinning maniacally.

"…" A single tear streamed down his cheek. "…goodbye…you two…" He whispered, turning away slowly.

One by one, the forms walked into the moon, vanishing through it like stepping into water. The human was the last to step inside as a faint tear fell down, crystallizing into a snowflake that landed on Helen's hand as Will helped her off the stage.

_I love you…_

**CREDITS!**

(Scenes of Helen and Will's adventures in Nightopia are shown)

**BGM: Dreams, Dreams, Deep Snow Remix**

_**I**__**n a dream I could see…you are not far away!  
Anytime, Anyplace…I can see your face!  
You are that special one, that I've been waiting for!  
and I hope you're looking for someone liiike me!**_

**_In my dreeeaaaams…I can hear you call on me!  
In the niiiight, everything's so sweet!  
In your eeeeyes…I feeeeel…_**_**there's so much insiiiide!**_

_**In the nights! Dream delights!  
I want to see you standing theeere!  
In the nights! Dream delights!  
I've found someone who really caaa-aaares!  
In the nights! Dream delight;  
I want to see you smile agaaain!  
In the nights! Dream delight;  
You are the one I've…waited foooor!**_

_**In a dream we can do…everything we want to!**_**  
**_**There's no where I'd rather be**_**…**_**but here with yooouu!**_**  
**_**The stars above light the way**_**…**_**only for you and I…**_**  
**_**I'm so glad I've found the one**_**…**_**that I've been looking for!**__**Keep the dreeaaaam!**__**(Keep the dream)**__**Of the one you're hoping for!**_**  
**_**Love can cooooome through an open door.**_**  
**_**Just be strooooong!**__**(Just be strong)**__**And yoooou're sure to fiiiiind the one!**_

_**In the nights! Dream delights!  
I want to see you standing theeere!  
In the nights! Dream delights!  
I've found someone who really caaa-aaares!  
In the nights! Dream delight;  
I want to see you smile agaaain!  
In the nights! Dream delight;  
You are the one I've…waited foooor!**_

(Helen and Will slowly climb back into their beds, going back to sleep…)

…

…

…

…wait…

A presence, a feeling…

Could it be?

Helen Cartwright and William Taylor opened their eyes as they felt a wind blow through their open window that night. They looked out the window, eyes peering…and smiled at the sight.

There, standing on one foot, almost hovering above the tip of Bellbridge Clock Tower stood NiGHTS, as the tune of the wind breezed through the air into their ears. Their friend stood there, hat bobbing slightly…silhouette emblazoned against the harvest moon.

He…would ALWAYS…return.

**EXTRAS!**

**I present to you, for your viewing pleasure...Jackle in Journey of Dreams!**

WILL'S FIRST ENCOUNTER WITH THE NIGHTMARENS!

…there, playing on that invisible flute, was NiGHTS himself. He was surrounded by slightly cone-headed creatures who were wearing purple jackets, red elf-like shoes and haloes around their heads. "Hey, Will, over here!" The happy jester called out.

Will approached them eagerly just as Owl fluttered down from the sky. "Allow me to introduce the Nightopians. They are the residents of this world!" He explained.

The Nightopians hovered up and down on their small red wings and let out happy calls, calling out "Nightopia" "Hello" and "Hii-hii". Owl laughed lightly. "They are kind, gentle folk who love to sing and play!"

"Hey Will, want to hear me play a tune?" NiGHTS asked cheerfully. "My little friends love the flute, don't you?" he asked, looking at the Nightopians.

The Nightopians suddenly all let out gasps and cries and began flying away at full speed.

Owl looked puzzled. "What is it? What's the matter?" He asked.

Then, suddenly, both Will and Owl felt the wingbeats of…of THINGS behind them. The two turned around and Will was surprised at what he saw…were gigantic birds, with strange, cap-wearing creatures riding on top. The birds were of different colors and had sharp talons while the riders regarded the boy and the owl like they were bugs…but what was most surprising was the jester…yes, another jester.

He wore a double-ended jester's cap like NiGHTS, only it was taller and curved only slightly down at the front, with a single large blue stripe and red stripe on each end. He had an orange/yellow pair of boots to match his cap and a large cape with red and yellow ends who's main body also matched the color of his boots and cap, but…well, as far as a "body" went, he HAD none! Instead of a head, there a floating, big huge grin and blue eyes that gazed out, twinkling unnaturally in darkness. He was wearing a golden mask over his eyes that was rather thin in design, with a sparkling blue gem in the center. It jutted down slightly at the end, almost like it had fangs.

"NiGHTS, there you are!" The jester said. His voice had a slightly childish ring to it. True, it was playful but…there was a frightening **edge** to it, like what was speaking was a toy possessed. He had a card in his gloved hands and was looking from it to NiGHTS. Those hands frightened Will…they had dark orange, almost red claws sticking out. The orange jester grinned and then put it away. "Why aren't you wearing your persona? Does it _clash_?" He asked, trailing off into chuckles.

"Ugh. Jackle!" NiGHTS remarked, rolling his eyes. "Did you really come all the way here just to NAG me?"

The jester, who's name was apparently "Jackle" chuckled sinisterly. "You wanna play that way? Fine. Let's play a game called **"Seize the Traitor"!**" He snapped his clawed fingers.

The birds and their riders rushed forward, grabbing the purple jester by his arms. Will immediately rushed forward to try and help, calling out his new friend's name.

"Stay back, lad! You're not match for them!" Owl said, blocking his path.

Jackle threw back his head and laughed. "Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! Smart bird, aren't you? Now then, NiGHTS, I'll be back to play with you later." Jackle remarked. "So sit tight and don't let the Snips bite!" He then flew off through the air, laughing madly as the three birds and their riders took NiGHTS up to the top of a hill. A few moments later a large cage with big windows sprung from the ground, enveloping the jester and trapping him. He spun around and flew back and forth in the cage, shouting to be let out…

WIZEMAN'S DISSAPOINTMENT

…there, floating in the air in all of his cruel and dark awe, was the master of the Nightmaren in his palace. He had six floating hands of metal with clawed fingernails and eyes upon each hand. At first the eyes had appeared to be a mixture of purple and blue, but now they turned a dangerous hue of red and yellow. One hand/eye was circling around the struggling, flailing form of Donbalon, who was unable to speak.

"I see…so you have fallen…failed." Wizeman's deep voice growled. He wore a helmet with many twisted spikes at the top that covered the top of his face, all save his mouth. He wore a large cloaked robe of dark blue and had the appearance of royalty. Circling around his head was a golden halo of sorts…but it didn't make him look holy…only mocking that which was.

Jackle floated in the air, arms crossed, looking at the flailing Donbalon. A moment later the large hand that had been circling the Nightmaren closed around him, crushing him into dust. For a moment a sense of horror filled him, but he knew what to do in this situation. He laughed.

"Ha-ha-ha! Poor Donbalon, given such a CRUSHING blow."

The hand that had just crushed Donbalon lazily drifted in front of Jackle, looking intently at him with its eye, a tone of amusement in the voice of Wizeman. "And I trust you will do better in the future."

Jackle bowed melodramatically. "Oh of course! I'm going to have LOTS of fun with NiGHTS and the visitor…"

"Very well…but do not fail me again…" Wizeman growled.

"You got it, boss!" Jackle laughed, floating away.

LOSING WILL AT LOST PARK

…hearing this though, the bird turned around. "Oh, well you see, Nightopia is created as a reflection of a Visitor's heart, after all. If you feel this place is lonely, perhaps…there is missing from YOUR heart." Owl mused.

Will blinked and placed his hand over his heart. "Something is…missing from my heart?"

And then that maddened voice broke through the air. "So THERE you are! Will, right? Boring name."

Will turned around and immediately gasped, stepping back in fear. It was Jackle, grinning like usual. "Y-you!" Will stammered.

Jackle chuckled evilly, rubbing his hands. "Welly-welly-well, don't you know it's not **_safe_** to walk around a park after dark?" He crowed.

Owl quickly moved in front of Will, protecting him with a glare on his face. "It will be a cold day in Spring Valley before I let you harm the visitor!"

Jackle raised a HUGE card from out of nowhere. "Hope you brought your earmuffs then!" He tossed it with expert aim and it struck Owl at an angle, knocking him through the air. Will rushed toward Owl to help, but the orange jester suddenly swept down and grabbed the human from behind, holding his right arm behind his back and raised a single claw to Will's neck.

"Now then little visitor…how about handing me that Red Ideya you've got? I'm starting a collection…" He joked as Will squirmed.

"Get your hands OFF him, Jackle!" NiGHTS's voice shouted. The orange jester turned his body and Will around to face the purple jester, who looked furiously at the orange Nightmaren.

"Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! Let him go? Give it up, NiGHTS!" Jackle laughed. "The Visitor's mine now." He said, waving a clawed finger in front of NiGHTS.

"I'm NOT letting you do that!" NiGHTS protested, coming closer.

Jackle raised his claws to Will's face. "Now, now. Don't make me kill the little boy. It's no fun to just end the party before it starts."

NiGHTS growled, then floated back. "ARGH!" He muttered.

"Ah, always the noble one." Jackle said, snapping his fingers. A large cage shot up from the ground, encasing and trapping NiGHTS.

"NiGHTS!" Will shouted.

"Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-haaa! Kyeh-heh-heh-heh-heh!" Jackle began to laugh and laugh.

"Let…Will…GO!" NiGHTS demanded.

Jackle stopped laughing and looked at Will. "Worrying about HIM over yourself? That's sweet." Jackle shrugged. "I suppose I only need to bring YOU back to the boss…"

He tossed Will on the ground and for a moment NiGHTS breathed a sigh of relief. But then Jackle grinned in a sadistic fashion

"But first thing's first…no need for you to see what I'm going to do to him!" He said, sneering as he flew down to Will, looping around him where he'd landed. A strange, pulsing line appeared, being drawn as Jackle circled around the human.

"Nooo! Jackle, **please**!" NiGHTS begged. But Jackle ignored him and swooped up after completing the circle. A moment later a dark abyss opened and Will felt himself sink into it.

"AAAAAA!" He shouted just before he vanished.

"WILL!" NiGHTS cried out as the orange jester laughed and laughed and laughed…

MY WORTHLESS CREATION

Wizeman was not happy. Not happy at all.

"All of my plans have been foiled…" He hissed to himself. Two of his hands, eyes glowing blue lowered down slightly at Jackle. Jackle had been filled with a nameless, terrible fear upon seeing his disciple perish before his eyes. He had **not** been brought back to life by Wizeman to teach his disciples how to fail. He had expected great things of his pupil, he'd been…proud.

But then his master had taken his anger out on Chamelan…

He had wanted to speak out, to say something…but now Jackle was silent, his blue eyes wide with fear.

"My worthless creation…I ought to-"

_"Don't hurt me master!"_ Jackle begged, getting on his hands and knees, though he didn't really HAVE knees. "It's NiGHTS, that traitor! He's helping a Visitor who possesses the Red Ideya of Courage and-"

"Be SILENT, Jackle!" Wizeman growled dangerously, his hands going within mere inches of Jackle, threatening to crush him.

Jackle whimpered and covered his head with his hands, trembling in fear. An amused expression appeared upon Wizeman's face. He enjoyed seeing Jackle squirm.

The hands withdrew. Wizeman had a nasty idea forming in his head. "Where that useless Chamelan failed…Cerberus will succeed." He mused.

Jackle had been about to protest about his disciple, but upon hearing of Cerberus, he blinked slowly. "That hellhound?" He asked. "That ugly old dog?"

"You are already aware, I know, that they have quite a…**temper**…should you wish to avoid becoming their prey, I might advise _you_ to take care as well, Jackle!" Wizeman said, a sadistically amused tone entering his voice.

Jackle nodded. "Alright…I'll bring him here." Jackle said, smiling. "Oh, we're going to have lots of fun. I always wanted a dog…"

With that, he rose up and left Wizeman's throne room. His master's cruel laughter echoed in his ears, but Jackle wasn't listening to that, but to the little nursery rhyme that was filling his ears over and over…

THE SHOWDOWN AT DELIGHT CITY

…Will heard a familiar sound of a flute. "That sound…it's NiGHTS!" Will exclaimed. He saw NiGHTS floating down to a sandbox, playing on his invisible flute. "Let's go and-"

Suddenly Owl stopped him from going over and pulled him into a bush far off in the distance. "No, wait…I heard someone ELSE approaching…stay back, Will!"

NiGHTS continued to play on his flute, oblivious to the world…that is, until a familiar, rotten old jester appeared, hovering from the sky.

"Ooh, I always liked your flute-playing!" Jackle said, laughing slightly.

NiGHTS groaned and turned his head slightly. "Oh, what do **you** want, Jackle? Just go away!" He complained, trying to get back to flute-playing.

"Aw, don't be like that, NiGHTS." Jackle said. "How about letting your best friend and fellow Nightmaren join in? Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, life is but a dream!" Jackle sang out, tilting his head back and forth, eyes glittering.

Will's eyes went wide upon hearing that. "What did he say? He's…he's a Nightmaren? That thing is…a FRIEND?" He turned to Owl. "That's not true!...is it, Owl?"

Owl turned away, looking nervous. "Er…I'm afraid it IS true…NiGHTS is indeed a Nightmaren." He said softly.

"No way…" Will said. "He…he can't be!"

NiGHTS turned around and crossed his arms, frowning. "Stop it, Jackle…I used to think of you as a good friend. But to see you still working for Wizeman…I thought you'd have broken free by now. Have you no shame?"

He turned away, hands digging slightly into his knees. Jackle "harrumphed" and crossed his arms. "Sheesh. **Sensitive**, aren't you?" He asked.

NiGHTS folded his arms and hovered up in the air, still looking away. Jackle just went on. "Boss is angry, NiGHTS…absolutely furious with you. He wants you back, and I have to take you." Jackle shivered. "I don't…I don't want him to subject me to that torture again…" He whispered softly, looking away, eyes filling with fear. Then he turned back to NiGHTS. "You're coming with me, NiGHTS. NOW!"

NiGHTS rose up a little higher and turned around, putting his fists on his hips, looking defiant as ever. "If THAT'S a threat, then bring it on! You and me, one on one!" He said.

Jackle dove at him, accepting the challenge. The two swirled up into the air, then took positions away from each other. Jackle flexed his clawed fingers, eyes closed, then snapped them open, raising his hands up into the air as huge playing cards popped into his hands. "Give it up, NiGHTS!" He shouted. "You can't win!"

He tossed them up into the air, and they swirled together, forming a glowing "X" shape. Large orbs of light orange energy soared down, leaving behind trails of light that twinkled in the sky. A quick paraloop around one turned them into a murky green and brown, and Jackle and NiGHTS launched their respective energy orbs at each other…

…

…

…

…"AAA!" Jackle fell to the ground, panting rapidly. "**DAMN!** No more, no more…you…win…" He gasped out, holding his cape close to his body.

"Jackle, I…" NiGHTS began, eyes filled with concern for his old friend.

"But I'm a _sore loser_." Jackle laughed, raising his hand into the air. A large cage rose up, entrapping NiGHTS.

"What the?!" NiGHTS shouted, slamming his hands against the cage.

"Sorry NiGHTS, but I can't play fair this time." Jackle said, shaking his head, floating into the air to face the purple jester. "Besides, I was holding back. If you actually think you could ever beat me…well, isn't THAT a laugh! Woo-hooo-hooo-hoooo!" He began to laugh.

"Jackle, let me out, NOW!" NiGHTS shouted.

"Uh-uh-uh! Didn't say "please"!" Jackle said, wagging a clawed finger in the air. "Oh, and guess what: Boss told me to bring Cerberus here!"

For the first time ever, Will saw raw fear enter NiGHTS's expression. "C-Cerberus?!" The jester whispered, holding one hand slightly over his mouth, hovering backwards.

"CERBERUS?" Owl gasped.

"Who's Cerberus?" Will wanted to know, although he had a feeling he sort of didn't. Luckily…or maybe not so luckily…his question was answered a few moments later.

"Yeah, that crazy dog that'll eat anything that moves!" Jackle said. "I'd love to see how you fare against him, but…" Jackle coughed madly. "You-you actually did some _real_ damage, so…bye bye, NiGHTS! Too bad it's for good…"

With that, he flew off, laughing.

**HELEN'S STORY!**

THE FIRST MEETING

"Oh, come on!" NiGHTS asked, looking very eager as she hovered around the girl and the owl. "Enough with the explanations, let's just go check it out!"

Then she stopped, looking at Helen. "Oh, by the way, what's your name, young lady?"

"My name is Helen." Helen said, curtseying. "It's a pleasure to meet you, NiGHTS!"

"The pleasure's all mine, Helen!" NiGHTS said, bowing. "Let's go then, Helen!"

"All right!" Helen exclaimed.

Suddenly something killed the mood faster than a bullet cutting through glass. A form rushed through the air, grabbing NiGHTS by the throat and slamming her against the door to Nightopia with a mighty KA-SLAM.

"Peek-a-boo! I kill you!" The form spoke. It looked a lot like NiGHTS, for it too was an acrobatic jester with a double-tipped cap and vest…however it's gloves had dark orange/red claws, and it had no skin…no real BODY! The color scheme was mostly orange, with some yellow and red upon it's body, and it was wearing a golden mask over it's glistening blue eyes. It had a large cape with a big mantle and was considerably bigger than NiGHTS. "It's not nice to run off without telling the boss!" The jester remarked, amused. It's voice was playful, but there was a edge to it that rang of insanity.

"Jackle…" NiGHTS gasped out, trying to pull the jester's claws away from her throat.

The other jester, who was apparently named Jackle, laughed quickly, in staccato. "Sorry NiGHTS, I've got my orders. You're going to be locked up for a while. Don't worry, I'll come visit you whenever I get the chance…"

"Leave NiGHTS alone!" Helen shouted, rushing forward. But suddenly Owl swooped in front of her, preventing her from going any farther.

"Stay back! You're no match for that monster, Helen!" Owl exclaimed.

"Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! You look pretty! I hope I see you again, girl! Now if you'll excuse us…" Jackle laughed. He closed his eyes, chuckling evilly, then thrust NiGHTS and himself through the door to Nightopia, vanishing with a flash.

"Oh my…I'm so sorry! That was terrible frightening, wasn't it?" Owl remarked as Helen sank to her knees, one hand held to her lips in fear. "That was a Nightmaren, from the dark realm of Nightmare!"

NEXT, PLEASE!

Giriana had failed…not good. At least…not for him. He was going to be SCREWED when Wizeman got his clawed hands on him.

"Jackle…this news that Giriana has been defeated…Is it true?" Wizeman intoned.

Wizeman was irritated with this latest piece of news. Jackle floated in front of Wizeman at his palace, looking slightly bored. He sighed, looking up and away. "Gee, 'fraid so, boss…" Wizeman's hand suddenly got VERY close to him and his eyes went wide instinctively. No, no, not more pain! _"He's gone, he's been defeated!"_ Jackle said quickly, nodding.

The hand floated away. "Hmm…" Wizeman thought for a few moments.

"Don't worry though!" Jackle said. He clenched his hand, which glowed. A few moments later, a green-skinned witch floated up through the air, eyes glinting. "The next Nightmaren general is ready to defeat NiGHTS." He told his boss.

"I see." Wizeman remarked. "I will expect good news in the future then."

Jackle rubbed his hands together, cackling. "Don't worry, boss…we'll be laughing about this soon enough!"

BOMAMBA BITES THE DUST!

Wizeman wasn't irritated now. Now he was very, VERY irritated. Quite mad. If he didn't have that mask over the top of his head, Jackle could imagine eyes bugging out with fury. Jackle was nervous himself…

"As I suspected…" Wizeman said coldly. "A mere second-level Nightmaren like **you** could not stop NiGHTS." He told Bomamba, who was floating nervously before Wizeman. Jackle's eyes went wide with horror as Bomamba fell into the dark abyss, black orbs eating away at her flesh and essence. Eventually there was nothing left.

Jackle finally spoke up. "It's NiGHTS's fault! Him and that stupid visitor have ruined everything!" He complained angrily, eyes glittering with fury. "He-"

"SILENCE, Jackle!" Wizeman shouted.

"Yes…" Jackle whimpered, getting on his hands and his lack of knees.

"We must not allow NiGHTS to get away with these…indiscretions." Wizeman remarked. "Now remind NiGHTS of his true allegiance or put an end to his freedom…and **existence**." He added coldly. "Go at once."

Jackle nodded, floating off. "Ready or not, here I come, NiGHTS!" Jackle laughed.

MEMORY FOREST'S REVELATION

"This place seems very familiar." Helen said as they walked around the beautiful, lush forest.

Then, rising from a dark blue energy portal with an orange rim, came Jackle, who was looking at a pair of card.

"You AGAIN?" NiGHTS asked. "Haven't you learned you can't beat us?"

Jackle raised the cards…it was a "Joker" and a "Jack" card, fitting of his nature. Then he grinned. "I've figured it out, NiGHTS…" He put the cards away, then stretched out his hand. "I **knew** I could trust you!"

"What _are_ you talking about?" NiGHTS asked, tilting his head to the side in confusion.

Jackle floated over to him, smiling broadly. "I can't believe I didn't see the game you were playing! But come on, the fun's over now!" He wrapped one arm around NiGHTS, raising an imaginary eyebrow. "Were you **EVER **going to tell the girl?"

"Tell me what?" Helen asked, confused.

Jackle turned his head to face her and grinned. "Why, that NiGHTS is just playing pretend! He's not _really_ your friend!" He then chuckled, his head bobbing up and down slightly.

"Huh?" Helen gasped, stepping back.

"Helen, don't listen to him, I've nothing to do with him and Wizeman!" NiGHTS insisted.

"Oh? You didn't tell her? That's MEAN, NiGHTS." Jackle said, frowning at NiGHTS. "Wizeman was once a visitor who lost his Ideya…and so he created us Nightmarens to take Ideya from other visitors so he can gain power!"

"Wh-what? No, NiGHTS **can't** be a Nightmaren! He's been helping me to SAVE Nightopia, and one of Wizeman's men wouldn't do that!" Helen insisted, shaking her head.

NiGHTS looked away, closing her eyes in shame.

Jackle crossed his arms, then chuckled, facing Helen again. "He **REALLY** didn't tell you? How cruel you are, NiGHTS." He floated to Helen's side. "If you don't believe me, look at this mask. Have you seen one like it on NiGHTS?"

Helen's eyes went wide. She drew in a sharp breath.

"It's called a persona, Helen." Jackle explained calmly. "The boss makes us wear it to show our loyalty."

Helen's lip quivered. Jackle saw this change in emotion and began to float behind her. "He _really_ didn't tell you? How awful…" He crooned gently. "To discover the truth in such a way…" He began to float around Helen, trailing an orange energy trail in the ground around her as he gently reached out, almost caressing her. "You truly trusted him…and to discover he was created by your worst enemy…" His voice filled with pity. "Poor little thing…he wasn't playing fair…"

"No…" Helen said, a tear streaming down her face. "It…it can't be…"

NiGHTS looked down, ashamed. "…Helen…" He said softly, regretfully.

"Don't worry…you don't have to see him again." Jackle said, smiling as he raised his clawed hands, drifting away from her. A shaft of light rose from the portal beneath her, and then Helen began to sink into the same sort of dark blue portal that Jackle had rose from.

"Wh-what? AAA!" Helen screamed as she sank down into the abyss.

"HELEN!" NiGHTS screamed, reaching out to try and grab her…but it was too late. She hung her head in sorrow as Jackle chuckled, then began to laugh madly.

**THE LAST NIGHT**

THE LAST SHOWDOWN

The purple-capped jester was tied up in golden chains, his persona mask had been forced upon his head and he hung limply in his bonds. Helen and Will raced towards him, quickly removing the chains from him. Luckily they came apart easily, the two spirits of the children were far stronger than the flimsy golden manacles.

NiGHTS fell to the floor below, groaning. "NiGHTS!" They both shouted.

He woke up, getting to his feet. "It's okay…don't worry about me!" He insisted.

**"AAAAA!"**

Their screams fully jolted NiGHTS to his senses as he turned around to see Jackle holding the two children up by the neck, claws firmly keeping them in place.

"I hope you weren't about to leave, NiGHTS…the party's just about to start!" Jackle said, throwing back his head and laughing quickly.

"Jackle, you fiend, let them go!"

"Oh, I won't **_hurt _**them!" Jackle said, grinning broadly as he looked at the two children. "I'll just make them my new toys. Won't they make a lovely pair of puppets?" He asked NiGHTS.

"Hah! YOU'RE the one who's a puppet! A puppet for WIZEMAN!" NiGHTS said, putting its hands on its hips before it tossed its Persona mask away, making it clatter on the ground.

"_WHAT!?_" Jackle hissed dropping the two humans to the floor below.

"Let's see who's just a mere puppet, Jackle…you and me…one on one!" NiGHTS said, looking determinedly at the orange jester.

Jackle laughed madly. "Mwa-hah-hah-hah! All right! Ooh, we're going to have some **FUN**, NiGHTS…" He held up a razor-edged playing card, showing off what it was. Ace of Spades…the card that meant "Death". Laughing, he flew off the bell tower, getting into position.

...

…

…

…"Guuaaaahhh!" Jackle howled as the energy ball struck him. He began to twitch, his body teeming with blue energy. "Whuh…whuh…why, NiGHTS?" He asked. "I'm a fellow Nightmaren…I'm your friend…how could you _turn_ on me? How could you abandon me?"

"Jackle, why didn't you just rebel against Wizeman like I did?" NiGHTS asked as Jackle's body quivered. The Dealer of Fate was trying to keep his composure, but was slipping away, his feet turning into blue dots.

"He would have…hurt me…like he did before. Didn't…didn't…" Jackle held his head in his claws. "Couldn't take it…the voices told me that instead of running I should laugh whenever I was afraid…laughter is power…"

"Voices? When did you start hearing them?" NiGHTS asked, horrified.

"I told Wizeman he was…was wrong…wanted to go find you…so he punished me, and then…then I heard them when I was all alone…" Jackle whispered, his lower region vanishing away.

"…Wizeman turned you insane…" NiGHTS realized. He reached out and gently touched Jackle's cap, stroking the side. "Jackle…"

"I'm _scared_…" Jackle whispered. "So scared…so…so I'll…I'll laugh…whenever I am afraid, I will laugh…ha…ha-ha-ha…ha-ha-ha-ha…"

Jackle laughed and laughed and laughed, but as he did so, tears streamed down his black, non-existent face. NiGHTS held him closely, and Jackle stopped laughing, simply quivering as the middle of his body vanished.

"Thank you NiGHTS…you didn't…give up." Jackle whispered. He looked up into NiGHTS's eyes and smiled, the last tears drifting away before he turned into blue light that slowly faded into the stars.

Will and Helen flew up next to NiGHTS, who put his hands on his hips. "Wizeman's going to pay…it's time he owned up to **everything** he did." NiGHTS said. "Let's go!"

**MORE EXTRAS!  
**

"Hello there!" Owl flies down and sits on a stump. "I'm going to tell you some interesting facts about the world of "NiGHTS"! Hoo-hoo-hoo!"

He clears his throat. "Ah-hem…first of all, for those of you who were keen in playing "Journey of Dreams" and "Into Dreams", you'll notice that both girls, right before their big performance, undo their hair and let it fall down to their shoulders. That's to draw a deliberate parallel between both Claris and Helen. Also, both Elliot and Will are lovers of sports…think that's a coincidence? Hoo-hoo!"

Owl fluffs himself up. "Furthermore, for those who might get the chance to play "NID", then you might be aware something rather creepy happens in the stage of "Twin Seeds". What happens is if you keep flying upwards, past the circle of balloons around the Twin Seeds tower is this: the screen becomes filled completely up with clouds, obscuring your vision. Creepy, to say the least…"

Owl adjusts his glasses. "Also, in the game "Into Dreams", they do speak words. Reala will ask if NiGHTS is ready to run, to have some "fun". NiGHTS, that lovable jester, will say farewell, Wizeman will insist it's not over, Puffy…HOO! I have no desire to get a hug from HER! And Jackle, being the hyperactive little pest he is, swears…also, thanks to the good people at "", the author has been able to be provided with a plethora of information about the NiGHTS universe, and so he thanks THEM for their help."

Owl fluffs up. "The author also wants me to take this time to thank those of you who have read this story, and wants to say that he's grateful for all of your support…you know who you are. He also wants to say this…"

Owl adjusts his glasses. "Never lose sight of your own dreams…and always be willing to fight for them. And above all, do whatever you can to make sure that those who have dreams of good, those who dream of love and peace…have THEIR dreams fulfilled too. Good luck…"

Owl bows, and with that, the scene fades to black.

**Thanks...all of you.**

**May we meet again! **

**Sincerely...**

**Nick**


End file.
